#but I’ve only watched the anime once when I was like 11

[sscrambledmeggss]

what are some of your favorite romance animes? I haven't really watched any, and I trust your taste ✨

JDDJJD THIS ASK HAS MADE ME SO HAPPY THANK YOU <3

Shoujo animes are a mess BUT they are my mess so it’s okay 💖 I haven’t watched a few of these in years, so I might be masked by nostalgia but shoujo animes are all about having a good time at the end of the day, and I’m pretty sure these will give that to you 🕺

Fruits Basket (2019):

Genres: romantic comedy, supernatural, drama, slice of life

Length: 3 Seasons, 63 episodes in total (+ a movie, but I don’t like the relationship in the movie so I don’t talk about it 🥰)

Okay okay, so like the plot to fruits basket out of context sounds like wild heterosexual bullshit. BUT I SWEAR, it is such a wholesome show, and it’s probably my favorite shoujo anime. It’s even complete with soap opera drama on occasions 😫 (I would definitely look up triggerwarnings though!)

Synopsis: orphan girl moves in with three guys, they are secretly furries 🤨 (aka they are cursed so when the opposite gender hugs them, they turn into the Chinese zodiac animals 😭) surprisingly this is not a reverse harem anime, and you actually want her to live with the guys 🤨 it also like handles toxic family relationships, and grief really well. It also has a lot of queer coded characters 😭 2001 is a lot goofier, but 2019 is way more dramatic, and actually has the full series. :)

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

Monthly Girls’ Nozaki Kun:

Genres: parody, romantic comedy, slice of life

Length: 12 episodes

This one is really fun!! It’s also very cute.

Synopsis:

Sakura Chiyo has a crush on this guy Umetarou Nozaki, and somehow ends up joining his manga team? Nozaki basically writes shoujo manga under the pen name, ‘Sakiko Yumeno’. He’s actually really open about it, but nobody believes him. 🦧 anyway she basically just gets to meet his team, and it’s a really fun and cute time <3

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

Ouran High School Host Club:

Genres: drama, romantic comedy, harem (but like it affects nothing, they are all mainly besties)

Length: 26 episodes

This is really unsurprising 🦧 BUT it’s a really fun time. A lot of things haven’t aged well in it, but for its time it really was changing things. Its a very episodic, romcom, making fun of a lot of common shoujo tropes, while still acknowledging that it’s basically the same thing it’s parodying.

Synopsis: Haruhi Fujioka is a scholarship student, at a big fancy school. She accidentally breaks a vase, and it puts her in debt with one of the clubs. Which happens to be a host club?? 🦧 so now she has to dress up as a guy and flirt with women <3 basically everyone is a stereotype, and it actively is making fun of rich people. 😭

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

Yona Of The Dawn:

Genres: romance, high fantasy, adventure

Length: 24 episodes + 3 OVA

Admittedly I haven’t watched this one in years, but I remember absolutely loving it. And luckily a friend of mine has watched it like this year, and she loved it as well. So I’m hoping that means it stands the test of time LOL.

Synopsis: Princess girly gets a reality check, and now has to girlboss too close to the sun <3 but it’s very fun. (This is all I can say without giving spoilers ig 🦧)

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

Snow White With The Red Hair:

Genres: fantasy, romance

Length: 2 seasons, 24 episodes in total + 1 OVA

I also haven’t watched this one in years, BUT I remember being obsessed with it. Sometimes I still check in on the manga to see what’s going on, I do not understand what’s going on. 💖 it’s very relaxed and cute though. And also nobody is in high school, which is always a good change 🦧

Synopsis: Shirayuki is a pharmacist who gets proposed to by a prince for straight up just having red hair?? 🦧 doesn’t want to marry said prince, so she then cuts off her hair, and runs away.

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

My Love Story!!:

Genre: romantic comedy

Length: 24 episodes

This one from what I remember is really wholesome from what I recall :)

Synopsis: basically a guy who is seemingly “scary” is actually really sweet, like he’s not even a bad boy. He’s like anime equivalent season two Sam Evans. Gets a girlfriend, and the whole plot is just them being cute + the guys best friend being their bestie.

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

Kamisama Kiss:

Genres: romantic comedy, supernatural

Length: two seasons, 25 episodes in total + 2 OVA

OKAY, so this one is a very good time from what I remember :) it’s main flaw is that the girl is in high school, and her main love interest is immortal?? So like an Edward Cullen type beat 😍

Synopsis: a girl ends up homeless (this is a very prominent trope if you can’t tell 🦧), and she runs into this guy, who kisses her on the cheek?? Turns out he’s a god, and has just given her his god title? So she’s just a god now. And she has to go to his shrine, and do god things?? And his old familiar (which is basically like if instead of working for Jeff Bezos, he just adopted you 🦧) isn’t very happy about it.

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

Anyways they are very much fun to watch <3 even if a lot of the time there’s a lot of “🤨” moments in shoujo anime, (they have an awful age gap issue) but they have been a very long time guilty pleasure of mine LOL. My friend and I have been purposely watching the bad ones, because they are equally as fun as the good ones.

[frankenstein-ate-my-left-shoe]

@steddiemas Day 11 -  Animated Holiday Movies & Pop/Alt Christmas Songs

y'all mind if i use all the movies and one of the songs from today's prompt? no? okay cool

pairing: steddie | word count: 1,612 | rated: G

“Alright Munson, it’s time to get you in the holiday spirit.” Steve says, pushing him down onto his own couch one Sunday in mid December. “I managed to grab Charlie Brown from work, and Rudolph, The Grinch, and Frosty will be on CBS tonight.”

“Damn alright, no need to get pushy.” Eddie grumbles, crossing his arms in front of him. He’s not looking forward to this, alright? He’s definitely going to get a stomachache.

“Pizza will be here in just a few minutes, Rudolph starts in 30, then The Grinch and Frosty are right after the other,” he’s pacing now, “I’ve got pop and beer, and chips, and leftover cookies—I’ve got to make more soon don’t I—”

“Steve, Stevie!” Eddie grabs his wrist as he passes in another line of worried pacing in front of the couch. “You gotta calm down sweetheart, why are you makin’ such a fuss?” Maybe if he ignores it, Steve won’t notice the pet name that slipped out from between his lips.

Steve heaves a sigh, “Yeah, yeah you’re right.” he drops down beside him, the couch protesting with a creak, “I just want you to have fun, I suppose.”

Eddie pats Steve’s shoulder comfortingly, “How’d you get all this set up anyway, where’s Wayne?”

Eddie had woken up in the late evening when he heard a crash from the kitchen followed by low swearing. Coming out in his ratty sweatpants and no shirt to Steve sweeping up a bowlful of pretzels back into a large mixing bowl in the middle of his kitchen was quite a sight, but before he could fully process, a green Hawkins Swim Team hoodie was shoved over his head, a hairtie pressed into his palm, and the rest of him being 'shoo'-ed into the living room and onto the couch.

His Uncle’s foldaway bed and his Uncle were missing from where they should be in the small family room, Wayne normally didn’t wake up until about now to get ready to head into work.

Steve shrugs, getting back up off the couch to go back into the kitchen, “When I asked him if I could borrow you for a movie marathon, he insisted I have it here. He’ll be back soon,”

“‘Back soon’? Shouldn’t he be sleeping right now?”

Eddie watches as Steve fiddles around in the kitchen for a few moments, picking up the previously be-floored bowl of pretzels and dumping it into the trash can, when the front door opens and Wayne enters with two pizza boxes balanced on one hand.

“Wayne?”

“Come grab these, will ‘ya Ed?”

Eddie shoots up at once, hopping over the low coffee table to grab the boxes while Wayne takes off his boots and Steve shuffles around them to pay the delivery boy standing on their porch.

The boxes are taken from him only a couple moments later, with Steve bringing them back into the kitchen.

Wayne snaps him back to himself with a hand on his shoulder. “Y’alrigh’ Ed?”

“Wayne. I can’t watch Christmas movies with him.” he says lowly, only to his Uncle. It’s one thing to make cookie cutters with him, but watching some of Maggie Munson’s favorite holiday movies is a whole ‘nother one thing altogether.

Wayne’s crinkled face smoothes out minutely. “Yes y’can, son. I’ll b’here too.”

“Don’t you have work tonight?”

“I swapped shifts with Roger so I could hang out with you boys.” Wayne says at a normal volume, fixing Eddie with a look.

Eddie’s eyes prick with the threat of tears.

That look says “I swapped so I could be here for you.”

“Wayne said he loves Christmas movies!” Steve grins, carrying back two plates with three slices each.

“Didn’ realize they were showin’ all these good’uns tonight!” Wayne says, stepping past them toward the hall, “‘Scuse me boys,”

While his uncle changes out of his coveralls and into his own comfy clothes (which will likely be a flannel and worn Levis), Steve shoves one of the plates of pizza into Eddie’s hands and leads him back to the couch.

He sets the other plate on the side table next to Wayne’s chair, and goes back to the kitchen for a third plate and three beers, all three gripped around their necks in one hand.

“You’re gonna love these, Eds.” Steve plops down beside him, “Charlie Brown is my favorite, but they’re all classics at this point right? That’s why they show them every year.”

Eddie gulps and puts down his plate of pizza on the coffee table. Putting on a brave face, he pulls his hair up into a bun at the back of his head.

“Forgive me if I’m skeptical, Stevie, but let’s get on with it, huh?”

Eddie has fun in the end, that pioneer man with the pickaxe in Rudolph reminds him of Wayne, so it doesn’t surprise him that he’s Wayne’s favorite.

A lot of the tunes and storylines are familiar, of course, it wasn’t like he can wipe the same movies from his mind just because mom is gone, but it was nice to see them again with Wayne and Steve by his side (though Wayne’s been sawing logs from the armchair since even before Rudolph was over).

By time A Charlie Brown Christmas is re-wound and put back in its case, Eddie is bushed. It’s only been a couple hours total that they’ve spent watching, these movies are shorter than he thought, but he’s stuffed full of pizza, beer, and nearly the whole (new) bowl of pretzels he inhaled during their little marathon.

He stretches out on the couch when Steve gets up to clear their plates away and swears he only closes his eyes for a second…only to wake up to the early morning light streaming in through the window behind the TV.

There’s a blanket tucked around him, another is thrown over Wayne (still keeping up with his very astute impression of a chainsaw), and Steve’s Nike’s are missing from the pile next to the door.

He snuggles back down into the cushions and promises to thank Steve later today.

Later today comes after their Hellfire meeting; the party stomps up Mike Wheeler’s stairs from the basement and trickle out the door at 8 o’clock sharp to their respective rides (a stipulation of the Wheelers and the Sinclairs if their boys would still be allowed to be in Hellfire after what happened in March).

Punctual as ever, Steve is already sitting in the Wheeler’s driveway waiting for Dustin and Will. Eddie immediately starts towards the maroon beemer but his steps falter when he hears the music that’s absolutely blasting inside the idling car.

“This yeaarr, to save me from tears, I’ll give it to someone special..” Eddie hears Steve singing along to that accursed new Wham! track, and not just singing along to the lyrics, but vocalizing the instrumentals too.

He manages to get to the driver side window without Steve noticing him, his attention on a book of Sudoku puzzles of all things.

“Knock knock! Earth to Stevie!” Eddie calls, rapping his knuckles on the pane of Steve’s window.

Steve, of course, jumps at the sudden noise, and cranks down the sound along with his window. Well, lowers his window. Stupid BMW with its stupid power windows..

“Jesus Christ, Eddie, you scared the shit outta me.”

“Not my fault you’re not aware of your surroundings, Stevie darling.”

Steve grins up at him, “How was the game?”

“The session was good, I was thiiiis close to killing off Dusty,” Eddie says, holding up his pointer and thumb, nearly pressed together to accentuate his point, “But Will the Wise here saved his ass at the last second.”

“And Dorngar the Monk will be forever grateful.” Speak of the Devil.

“Dorngar the Monk better watch himself next time.” Will says, shaking his head.

Will climbs into the backseat and scoots to the middle of the bench to start going through a play-by-play of the session with Dustin, who gets in the passenger side and kneels backward on the leather seat immediately.

Steve only rolls his eyes at the two of them, his lips curved into a fond smile still turned towards Eddie.

“Hey, I wanted to say thanks, by the way.” Eddie says, leaning his weight onto the roof of the car with his forearm.

Steve’s brows furrow immediately. “For what?” “For last night? I had fun. Surprisingly.”

“You’re welcome, Eds.” Ah good, the smile is back. “Did you sleep good on the couch? I was going to take you into your room before I left, but you looked comfy enough.”

“Oh yeah, I slept like a baby.”

Steve chuckles, “I don’t think a baby could sleep through your uncle’s snores.”

“I did! My mom used to take me over to Wayne’s whenever I’d get too fussy to sleep normally.”

“That’s hilarious!” Steve guffaws, “I can definitely picture it: your uncle asleep in that same chair? Little baby Eddie laid out sound asleep in his lap? Ha!” 

“That’s about how it was,” Eddie grins, thinking of that exact picture his mom had taken during one such visit, the one in the fading photo album tucked away in his closet.

“Dudes, stop fucking around, we gotta get home!” Dustin gripes.

Eddie steps back from the window, raising his hands in surrender. “Alright, alright, I’m leavin’ too, be careful getting these assholes home, Stevie.”

“You too, Eds, watch out for deer.”

Eddie’s heart stutters at the simple phase, the same one he’d asked Wayne why he would always say that every time he and mom left his place.

Wayne had just smirked, “Don’tcha know Ed? That’s midwestern for ‘I love you.’.”

to anyone outside the midwest: yes, that's a real thing and also watch out for deer on your way home <3

other parts! Pt. 1 (Day 1) | Pt. 2 (Day 2) | Pt. 3 (Day 5) | Pt. 4 (Day 6) | Pt. 5 (Day 7) | Pt. 6 (Day 11) [YOU ARE HERE] | Pt. 7 (Day 13) | Pt. 8 (Day 18) | Pt. 9 (Day 21) | Pt. 10 (Day 25) also on AO3! this year

[simplyreveries]

uhmm hii so i’ve mever requested something before so just ignore this if you like! uhm i’ve been watching violet evergarden recently and had this thought for a while maybe Jade and Rook (separately) as a servant for a Princess reader?? like the reader is a bit bratty and gets irritated easily and stuff? but she’s actually very nice?? soo she’s in a arranged marriage with some dude?? (you can pick a character for that or it can remain anonymous if you want) and the reader is sad because it means she’ll have to get separated from Rook/Jade since technically they don’t belong to her and belong to the the royal palace instead so uhm rook and jade comforting reader and stuff because the reader actually likes them and doesn’t want to be separated from them? kinda like in that one episode. if you dont want to do this it’s fine! you can just ignore it.

oml ive heard of that anime, but the only one with royalty themes ive watched was "snow white with red hair".. zen stole my heart when i was 11 hehehe

jade leech

jade is someone that loves snark honestly, he finds your attitude so entertaining and amusing to him. he only believed that you were just all bark and no bite, anyways. he always had a feeling that you were hopelessly into him as he is to you (even if jades loves more.. intensely than others..!) jade never seemed discouraged and upset when you would act all irritable and annoyed with him, jade would only give you a pleasant smile and ask you what else you needed.

an arrangement for your marriage was something that he was prepared to have come at some point, it's sort of the inevitable- also considering that you never once had given any kind of suitors presented to you the time of day. he would chuckle at that behavior and only warn you that this would make matters harder for you.

your tears were definitely a sight to see as you don't share this part of you often, nevertheless he'll be ever so calm and collected when by your side, placing one of his gloved hand on the small of your back in a comforting manner.

rest assured about the situation; I feel like jade wouldn't feel worried about it and tell you that you really shouldn't either. not to worry a single bit. I mean, who's to say something couldn't happen to this prince you're betrothed to?

rook hunt

he... is devoted to you so much that any comment or mean remark towards him does not bother him one bit, you could say it goes in one ear and out the other. rook feels as if it's the greatest privilege to serve someone such as you, he lives to serve beauty after all. assisting and being with you throughout your day is simply a dream come true for rook. you can't blame him for falling hard, can you??

when he sees you crying it breaks his heart--! at first, he was a bit surprised with wide eyes since you're rarely ever so vulnerable around him like this, he quickly was kneeling at your side pleading to know what the matter was with you.

rook feels lie it's a story, the bittersweet ones he reads about; forbidden love, oh his heart hurts! he'll take your hands into his and try his best to give you the most comforting words. though inside he does feel a sense of strange joy-- only to hear from your mouth that you do reciprocate his feelings. like jade, rook is intense and he always claims he's completely and utterly loyal to you as your servant. he'll practically do anything to ensure you priority is first. it's just so perfect that its him.

[littlelord]

the ASOIAF / HotD / GoT fandom does not talk about the Velaryons enough, (and i know y’all know why. work on that.) so let’s talk about them. I present:

Velaryon Appreciation Day 1:

Corlys Velaryon

The lack of recognition for Corlys is DISGRACEFUL in this fandom.. I genuinely didn’t know he was a main character until I watched the show this week.

So here are some reasons you should appreciate or at least recognize Corlys:

1. He loves his wife more than anyone on that show. Easily the best husband out of the lot.

2. Literally Rhaenys’ #1 fan

3. Puts aside his long-held ambition to have his blood on the throne when Rhaenys asks

4. Is one of the biggest supporters of Team Black

5. ..I’m not kidding, do y’all remember how he kept vying for Rhaenyra’s claim long after her death? Yeah

6. Dude got arrested and sentenced to death for plotting to unseat Aegon AFTER RHAENYRA WAS DEAD

7. Like instrumental to Team Black and Rhaenyra’s line succeeding the throne, especially post-dance

8. Some of the best hair in the series i mean COME. ON. :

the gold bands? that length??? outdid.

9. Some of the best outfits, especially among the men of HotD

10. He is THE Sea Snake, ruler of the seas!!!!!! Lord of the Tides, Master of Driftmark, Head of House Velaryon, and Princess Rhaenys’ husband (the final is obviously his best and most important title).

11. My dude is HARDY. Recovered from a near-fatal stab wound and intense fever at 70(ish) years old.

12. He is so sweet to Luke. Fights for him as heir to Driftmark despite knowing they are not blood related (“it was just so the Velaryon name stays on the throne!” so? he could’ve supported Vaemond’s claim but he chose to support Rhaenyra’s child, his grandchild)

(look at little Luke and his grandsire😞)

13. Driftmark is cool as fuck and he’s the Master of it so that’s another point to Corlys.

14. I said it once I’ll say it again: GILF.

15. (extra credit): Steve Toussaint (Corlys’ actor) seems to be a great guy. He’s funny, v entertaining in interviews, comes across so genuine, bffs with Eve Best (Rhaenys’ actress), and is a huge GoT nerd (seriously. he is the only one who can answer any questions about GoT in the interviews i’ve seen him in). And fun fact- as I was looking to see if he’s overtly problematic, I discovered that all of his twitter likes are just “human kindness” and funny animal videos.

And the worst thing is that if he looked like his pre-HotD fancast/fanon version, people would not shut up about him.

“He’s soo fine”

“I need a husband like him”

“We need to talk about him more.”

..and you know i’m right!

FINALLY:

I am not saying you have to like Corlys (especially if you do not fw any asoiaf men, which i deeply respect), but free him and House Velaryon from this double standard you hold them to.

Like I better not see anyone who appreciates, recognizes, or likes Daemon or Aemond or Criston or even Alicent talking about how Corlys is “too prideful,” “too ambitious,” because look the fuck around!!!!!!! who isn’t in this goddamn verse!!?!??!!! and also you know what?? if my beautiful amazing badass wife was denied her rightful throne, i’d be mad about it too!!!!! even after she said she was over it!!!

if you made it this far, i’m thoroughly impressed and even more grateful that you have heard me out in this Corlys Velaryon rant!

[tater-tot-jr]

I think I should put in my two cents considering the Hazbin hotel leaked Angel Dust clip. I’ll say that this post should be one absolutely massive trigger warning. If you’re sensitive please don’t read this, I’m pretty blunt. Also I’m only talking about a small leak but SPOILERS!!!

So before I make any points I’ll start by saying that I’m not an inherent fan of vivziepop, this isn’t meat riding, it’s a genuine attempt at open conversation and discussion. I’ll also say I’m a survivor myself and while I don’t claim to speak for anyone else I have some ground to stand on here. I completely understand that people can be triggered by this type of imagery and will at least skip this particular scene or episode, I promise I’m not talking about you guys.

You wanna know who I am talking about though? The weird ass moral police I’ve been watching mobilize. It’s crazy how people are making a big deal out of this. I’ve seen three arguments and all of them are terrible in themselves and being used to justify terrible behavior.

I’ve only seen people claim three major things, this is a bad depiction of a s/a survivor and situation, this is something that’s too graphic and immoral to put in a TV show, the fact that the singing and dancing lightens the tone in a way people find distasteful. I’m going to be trying to prove why I find these arguments mostly ridiculous and unfounded.

As for argument one, s/a survivors come in all shapes and sizes and hyper sexuality happens to be an incredibly common reaction to sexual trauma. I haven’t watched episode one and two but even if I had I’d still have too small of a sample size to determine the entire tone of an incredibly messed up complex dynamic between too incredibly interesting and layered characters. It’s ridiculous to have so many assumptions and expectations of an *11 second leaked clip.*

Secondly. Creative freedom is possible the most important thing in art. If we didn’t have the freedom to put what we wanted on paper or on screen then we wouldn’t have had so much societal change recently. Just because you might find something distasteful and immoral doesn’t mean it absolutely has to be hated on and removed. It’s okay to not like things because you find them gross, it’s okay to not enjoy graphic depictions of serious subjects, it’s not okay to start internet wars over moral bullshit. It’s okay to be mad in silence sometimes, guys.

Thirdly. I kinda get this one, I don’t agree with it but I do understand the point. The idea you don’t want a serious subject framed with a sexy pop song is not inherently bad, it’s just something that makes me think you wouldn’t have liked Hazbin Hotel anyway. I actually appreciate the fact they are using the creative medium to make bold and shocking decisions but I get some people are sensitive to new things, that’s fine. Where this argument gets ridiculous is when people act like this is very out of line for a show like this. This isn’t a Saturday morning kids cartoon it’s and adult animated show about people in hell. It’s highly likely that this won’t be the worst thing we see, you either need to heed the trigger warnings at the beginning of each episode or get over it.

You’ll notice that I didn’t bring up anything about the merchandise pins or the storyboard artist, I did this because they aren’t arguments but barely related attempts at character assassinations. When you spend five minutes thinking about them critically you come to realize that there is nothing substantial to those arguments.

I’d like to finish up talking about how I think this scene is doing more good than harm. It’s important to make people uncomfortable when you’re talking about things so horrible like s/a and rape. It shouldn’t be meek and palatable for a general audience, it should upset you. I remember hearing something in a video game once that stuck with me. There was a character who said that when you’re sick you need strong medicine and that the strongest medication is very bitter.

I think episode four will be some very bitter medicine.

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - OMG PLEASE STOP SINGING

May 2023 Wk 2 

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs. Organized by which ones (in each category) I’m enjoying most.

Ongoing Series - Thai

Step By Step (Thai Tues WeTV & Gaga) ep 4 of 10 (MDL still says 12, but Gaga still says 10) - Jeng trying to improve himself so awkwardly is kinda sweet. I love that Bruce it here & queer! Yay! Chot is my favorite but Pat is my spirit animal, I always sniff people’s bath products. Jeng looking at Pat in the suit = hello, future husband. The irony of Pat running around trying to find Jeng’s weakness, when it’s clearly him. Also WASH YOUR HANDS & NO SINGING. 

La Pluie (Sat iQIYI) ep 3 of 10 - still loving this one, enjoyed seeing the seme’s side of the meat cute. The miscommunication seems properly vested (although we may be manipulated by the visuals into thinking it’s kissing when it isn’t). But so far I am all in. Also killer chemistry with the leads already. My catnip. BUT... NO SINGING! 

Our Skyy 2 (Vise Versa) eps 7-8 - Each day of the month is a BL trope? That jives. The kid was a fun plot twist - if he had been real and not a lie. I chortled a lot and all the domesticity was nice, but I wasn’t surprised when it was all Pluen lying again. Once a liar, always a liar. Could Jimmy please play a better character next time? Also. NO SINGING. 6/10

Pastsenger (Thai Weds Gaga) ep 10 of 12 eps - Amnesia just makes me feel like we backslid and all the previous work of watching 9 eps is for naught. And it was WORK with this show. At least it only lasted one episode, but still, they’re gonna use it to continue the rift? Sigh. 

A Boss and a Babe (Fri YouTube) ep 11 of 12 - As much as I dislike these characters being constantly betrayed by the narrative, I really do love Cher. A sunshine sweetheart who is actually a decent honest human, who’s not ashamed of his love or his personality, it’s really rare and admirable on screen. I have to give B&B props for this character, if nothing else. And there is nothing else. This was possibly one of the stupidest episode 11 dooms ever fielded. And I do not say that lightly.

The Promise (Thai Weds YT & WeTV) ep 8 of 10 - This show has got to stop dwelling on the separation, every time they do it it just makes Phu look worse. I legitimately didn’t think that was possible. I LOVE Party so much. Not only is he a good friend, and probably an excellent boyfriend, he’s a great businessman. Khun is lovely too. Happy to have him win Nan’s heart. Really, anyone but Phu. Also Nan = an ace who collects hotties everywhere he goes? Props baby. 

House of Stars (Thai Mon iQIYI) ep 2 of 12 - Very soap - kinda creepy, too long pauses, bloated cast, and utter confusion. Odd. The captions are insane, one name can (and will) be spelled 3 different ways. It’s a VAST cast and I can only really identify 3 characters: 1. the actor with the (beard?) gf who’s a suspiciously militant ally, 2. The oldest actor in the house with dark traumatic past, 3. The adorable evil femme who needles everyone. I might drop this show, I’m only really still watching bc it’s the only BL airing on Monday. Also: NO SINGING

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Our Dining Table AKA Bokura no Shokutaku (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 6 of 10 - I’ve been waiting for this chapter. It’s one of my favorites from the manga. 

Love Mate (Korea Thurs Viki) eps 3-4 of 8 - Aggressive flirting or stalking? These 2 give Lovely Writer vibes. Honestly, I never thought Korea would go so very old school yaoi. Also went quickly to a high heat place I wasn’t expecting (but Japan would). 50% for a sex scene is very gay but wild for a KBL. If this were Strongberry it would’ve ended on this episode and I would’ve been fine with it. Now what? 4 eps of boyfriends? That’s cool but what is this crazy surreal BL world I am living in?

Happy Merry Ending (Korea Thurs Gaga) eps 5-6 of 8 - Honestly, Korea, does it always have to be a love triangle? Always? Anygay, timid tsundere & confident sunshine is an interesting match. They’re sweet together, almost kindly. I like the calm ache of this pair. At first I thought it would be too much like Love Mate, but they’re completely different. I really want someone to punch the CEO ex, oh goodie! Battle of the hyungs. 

Vian the series (Vietnam YouTube ) - very in line with the my cat boyfriend tradition but honestly how can any human look like that? He truly myst be a cat. 

The Day I Loved You (Pinoy YouTube) eps 4-5 of 10 - It’s cute. They’re cute. Truth comes out when locked in a bathroom. Yay a new pinoy BL I actually like for a change. It’s been a LONG time. However BOOO for the doomy  “I want to be remembered, are you dying”. But a nicely dramatic midpoint. 

Naked Dinner AKA Zenra Meshi (Japan Fri Gaga) ep 5 of 12 - How can he be so completely unaware of how in love he is? Ah well, I suppose we aren’t yet half way through and it’s one of THOSE JBLs. In yaoi half the time you are husbands before you even confess you like the other person. 

It is unfair for a real live human to be this beautiful. We talking Hunjin-level unfair. WTF Vietnam? Why you gotta broadside us like this? 

It’s Airing But ...

Love Syndrome (Thai Sat WeTV) stopped at ep 2 of 12 - I’m just not into any aspect of it (except Lee Long Shi) - saving to binge if the end is solid.

Venus in the Sky (Sat YouTube) pilot/tester?) 0 of 10 - not entirely sure what’s up with this one distribution-wise, but the pilot was classic university-set pulp. I hope it happens because the leads are cute with good chemsitry and I thought it was fun. However, this pilot holds together as its own little short too.

Stormy Honeymoon (Vietnam)

My Story (Pinoy Sat YouTube) ep 4 of 10 - I bounced.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Star Struck (Korea iQIYI) ostensibly starts Thursday but icky is being janky about it, so we shall see - A boy has had a crush on his childhood friend for a long time. Stars Zuho (Kpop SF9 - noted good egg) opposite rookie actor Kim In Sung (the one with the crush).

Happy Merry Ending and Boss & Babe both end. Be My Favorite will be taking the GMMTV Fridgay time slot. 

Coming in May 2023:

5/26 Be My Favorite prev title: You Are My Favorite (Thai YouTube) Adapted JittiRain y-novel (2gether, FUTS, ToL, Vice Versa) one of those “rewrite the past to change the future.” Stars Krist (SOTUS) + Fluke Gawin (DBK, Not Me). Expect this to be v low heat, full of LIES and manipulation. 

5/27 The Luminous Solution (Thai ????) 10 eps - Thana is having trouble at work and in his relationship. He can't seem to catch a break. So he makes a wish to change everything. The wish has a price.

5/27 Takumi-kun Series 6: Nagai Nagai Monogatari no Hajimari no Asa (Japan) - NO ONE ASKED FOR THIS (but that has never stopped Japan before) and no, I have no idea where to get it, why would I ?????  (Say it with me everyone: Oh Japan, must you?*)

* At least I never have to tell Japan to stop singing. Small mercies. 

2023 forthcoming BL master post (see comments, some are inaccurate, NOT KEPT UPDATED)

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

House of Cards. I like this character. I don’t have any idea who he is or why he’s so militant of an ally but I still like him. 

I LOVE HIM SO MUCH JUST LEAVE ME ALONE. (Vice Versa’s Our Skyy eps) 

Preach, sweetheart.

Yes, please and thank you. (Both Boss & Babe) 

(last week)

Current Kpop earworm? ONEUS - ERASE ME, I like the concept (suits! corset! kinky!) and it’s catchy enough

[suitepea]

Kinda long, sorry. But I love knowing things like these.

10 11 14 18 21 28 30 34 38 51 62 72 73 75 81 82 84 89 91

Omg that’s so many 😂 this was a fun afternoon activity. Thank you

10: Have you ever been caught masturbating?

Uuuh yeah. Just once. When I was 18 but still living at my mom’s house, I was on a video call with this super sexy fat guy and we were masturbating together. My mom busts into my room to ask me a question and I just JUMPED out of bed completely naked and shut my computer lol. I think she was kind of embarrassed so she left quickly and didn’t see what exactly I was doing, which I am forever grateful for 😅

11: What does your favourite sexy underwear look like?

Fun fact about me: I own, like, 30 pairs of the same cotton granny panties and that is 99% of what I wear. I have like 5 pairs of Super Special Sexy Panties that I only wear on special occasions, so I don’t have a ton of options. That being said, it’s probably the lacy black thong that goes with my favorite lingerie set.

This isn’t the best picture to show off the panties. I’ll have to take another one sometime for you

14: Do you prefer giving or receiving oral sex?

Honestly, giving. My clit is super sensitive and I often find cunnilingus is too intense for me. It’s hard to get that balance of gentle and satisfying. I’m kind of a submissive person anyways, so it works. Plus, giving head puts my face closer to belly (and therefore closer to god).

18: Are you into dressing up for sex?

Not opposed, but I’ve never done it (unless lingerie counts). Depends on what we’re dressing up as too. I think I would look pretty good with a pig snout and ears 🐽

21: Have you ever had a threesome? If not, would you?

Short answer, yes. I have had many threesomes, and a handful of foursomes too. They’re lots of fun. The more the merrier :)

28: Favourite body part on the opposite sex?

Belly 🤤 isn’t it obvious?

There’s so much to love about men’s bodies though. I would struggle to name a second favorite.

30: Something that you have hidden in your room that you don’t want anyone to find

This is a difficult one because I don’t really have a lot of “secret” objects. Like if my grandma found my vibrator or something I wouldn’t care. I would probably have to say my diary from when I was in middle school where I used to write about the anime characters I was dating. That would be kind of painful to know someone read it lol

34: A food that you would like to use during a sexual experience

Honestly fucking anything delicious! I feel like sweets are inherently sexual, so maybe those. At the same time I would be so turned on watching my partner crush a couple burgers. All of it please!

38: Best sexual complement you ever got

Hmmm this is a hard one. There’s no one compliment that really stands out in my mind. I’ve been told I give great head. I’ve been told I have a nice ass. Among other things.

51: Is there any food you would NOT recommend using during a sexual encounter?

Peas, but only because I hate them lol.

Other than that I’m not sure. There are probably lots of things I’m not thinking of.

62: has anyone ever watched you masturbate?

Hahaha see first question. Yes, I have been known to masturbate for people I really like. It’s a form of intimacy I really enjoy

72. Which not-genital part of your body do you like being touched?

Yo honestly my back and neck are extremely sensitive. My back more so than the average person I think. Back rubs alone are like a near-orgasmic experience for me. They feel so insanely good. Please rub my back.

And belly, of course 😁 The answer is always belly.

73. Which genital part of your body do you like being touched?

Can I say belly again? Lol

I guess pussy is the only real answer here? More specifically I like being fingered. If you can find the g-spot then we will get along super well lol.

75. Have you anonymously sent a sexual ask to someone on tumblr?

Yes of course :> I love to flirt

81. Do you like being called a slut or whore in bed?

Yes, I love degradation. But if you want bonus points, make it fat-shamey. Being called a “slut” is fun. Being called a “pig slut” is perfection 👌🏻

82. Are you into any BDSM?

Yes :) My fiancé and I have a big bag of fun toys. If you ask nicely, I’ll show you some pictures of me in bondage. I haven’t posted them because they’re a little raunchy and I’m not trying to lose my blog lol.

84. Do you like dirty talk?

So much. It’s one of my favorite things. I love a partner who’s good with words. It’s a super valuable skill to me that I often struggle with myself

89. Have you ever masturbated because your sexual partner wasn’t there when you needed them?

I guess so? Haven’t we all? Sometimes one of us is tired or not in the mood so the other has to fend for themselves. Sometimes we’re both horny but too tired to fuck, so we masturbate beside each other lol. It’s not really something I fret about. I see it as a normal part of a relationship.

91. Have you ever had a friends with benefits? Are they still beneficial?

I have. My best friend and I have actually hooked up and had threesomes quite a few times in the past. She’s in a monogamous relationship so we’re just regular friends right now

[vargaslovinghours]

Requestober 2023: Vargas Edition

The playlist has returned for this year! There will be a few in between, but it should be updating at least once a week on either Wednesday or Friday or both - keep an eye out for your req(s)!

I considered a couple different lines for day 1 - there are just so many Narrator lines that could work for Scriabin! Any of the many times where the Narrator is being sadistic, it all just works. Plus, it’s fun to imagine Scriabin trapping Edgar in the same way, just shoops a wall right into his path haha

But in the end I went for one of the tags I left myself on the original TSP/Vargas crossover doodles, it does still live in my head rent-free after all. You can see in the background that those “invisible” tears were intended from the beginning as well :3c

There’s also something funny to me about Scriabin using the word “rubbish” haha ♪ How posh

Edgar, as usual, getting blame for something that was definitely his Narrator, I mean Scriabin’s fault lol

I really wasn’t sure what to do with day 2 at first - I’m too scared to watch any of the SAWs, or look them up on YouTube >~< I tried finding transcripts with stage direction or people describing them in text online but I couldn’t really find anything, I really do appreciate my friend for telling me about one haha. Even with that though, I still had to do a lot of guesswork! Something about wrists, fear, not doing well - Scriabin is very cute hiding behind Edgar but it’s still not very obvious what the theme is, huh?

I was able to find a very brief animation of I think? the trap that had been described to me but even that was a bit much for me :’D I was a very wimp that day! I didn’t even have it in me to draw the trap itself in the sketch! There’s something a bit ominous about not being able to see into the trap completely, only the blood pooling at the bottom ♪ But I’m still happy I went with what I did in the end, though I did have to change Scriabin’s dialogue from fear to accusation - though that tracks for him haha

Day 3 was silly and therefore easy to whip up haha ♪ The angst is done, the blood is done, this leaves only kisses! Any opportunity to use my pencils to make kiss-marks, I will take lol. Clearly this is what the prompt was pointing at! Obviously! Lol

If you look, Jake’s lips are painted pink and Scriabin’s red, and they have each other’s lipstick marks on their faces lol - I am attention to detail when it comes to kisses ♪

I did still end up making an alt even after pretty much decided on the first one, it’s still fun to think about Scriabin interacting with Jake before he gets his own body ♫ He’s so smug lol, at least they’re easy to cover! Ish! Mostly! Probably itch tho lol

Day 5, yaaay some Biblical Edgar <3 I have been out of practice drawing wings lately so they’re basically just Big Shapes here lol, it’s all about blocking out the space they’ll take for when it’s cleaned! I am quite happy with how he turned out digitally, his cute face ♥

Day 7 got a couple passes as well before settling! It’s a theme lol, though there were both kidverse! The prompt mentioned “brothers” but that doesn’t necessarily mean when they were kids - they can be silly and sibling-like even After, they have the range. Still, Edgar pushing him on the swing as a kid was a cute idea so I’m glad I at least scratched it down haha. Why’s he so heavy? He’s dense ♪

The alt was the winner tho! I love how much like a bug Scriabin looks here haha, how could he have possibly seen this coming??

Day 8′s sketch was done outside in the dark actually, stargazing very appropriate!  You can kinda see me go back and forth on their clothes in the moment lol, Edgar’s striped shirt visible on his upper arms underneath his long sleeves and I still ended up going with a scarf! I also planned to make their breath clouds but I forgot them in the end, that background took up a lot of my focus lol. Also how come Edgar’s feet turned out better here than in the final version >:P

Gaster! A warmup for Day 9 since it’s been a bit since I’ve drawn him, especially with the cracks in his face! Scriabin is annoying his offscreen so it still totally counts as being Vargas-themed lol

Their poses were a bit subdued initially so I knew I wanted to try again, but at the same time there are a lot of elements here that I liked! Especially their hands, Gaster holding his hands in fists at his sides rather than speaking to Scriabin through sign language, and Scriabin with his flourish-opened palm, inviting ♪

Actual pose skeletons lol, though Gaster’s was a bit top-heavy. It all worked out in the end at least :)

Day 11 was a very fun concept! Turning Scriabin into an Enderman was an especially fun idea if Edgar could figure/find out that he could hide from him using a pumpkin mask, though I’m sure that would make Scriabin mad as well once he found him haha. Just sneeaaak quietly behind him, he’ll never know! Also the pumpkin having Edgar’s glasses, goatee, and scars carved into it haha <3

All the same, I’m glad I went with what I did - Scriabin’s pose is so much more dynamic! Very fun! His hands and his legs, and the way his coat flares out! Plus putting his Ender teeth on display was a lot of fun haha ♪ Poor Edgar can’t catch a break no matter what world he’s in, at least I didn’t actually turn him into a sheep lol

Day 12, yaaaay I finally got to Uncle Jake! So nervous <3 Don’t break the baby, don’t hurt him don’t move too much ahhh! Haha, terribly cute ♥ I do still really love how confident Edgar is here - he’s usually so nervous around Jake, but oh how the tables! Dadgar with a support system <3 His FWB comes to say hi to his son, it’s very wholesome hehe ♪

Day 13 was actually drawn way of out of order, between several of the later days and even day 12 I think lol, it’s so hard to convince my brain to listen to new music haha. It was quite a lot of fun making the text not look like it’s “spoken,” outside of a text bubble hehe, I don’t do that too often! And of course still deeply inspired by his palette challenge, it is too pretty to not pull from every not and again <3

Honestly I initially had no ideas for day 14, and yet this was still the only sketch I ended up with! My earworm at the time came in clutch, honestly do listen to Everything In You it’s such pretty yearning starcrossed song ah <3 All these musical doodles haha ♪ Sweetness sweetness <3

And of course when they’re that close there has to be a kiss! Scriabin is surprised, but how much? :3c Edgar giving Scriabin kisses of his own accord 💖 That theme never really left me either hehe

Day 27, the last Vargas day! Had to get in one Snake Charmer before the end huh haha ♪ It’s too bad my Ladyverse!Naga idea was a bit too long or I would’ve done that, but I’ll never turn down the potential for pretty clothes! And spiders for that matter haha, I went with the Acanthoscurria Geniculata - Brazilian Whiteknee again :) As much as I love Scriabin as a Bold Jumper, tarantulas just have such gorgeous proportions! And of course, I always enjoy drawing Lady!Scriabin, so it was doubly fun to draw her as a spider :)

That’s all of this year’s Vargas sketches! A fun bunch! And it was fun to mix a few others in as well :D

[isshua]

Messianic Aureation

Chapter 11: To Tempt a God's Wrath

Summary: With the help of a new friend, Cara sets off to steal the Holy Lyre der Himmel. It’s time to once again face the Vessels who want her dead.

I finished editing this chapter in an airport lol

Chapter 12 is here

“Look,” Bennett said when they were crossing under a large stone column left over from a civilization now long gone. He pointed to a nearby tree, thin and scraggly with no leaves. Weighing down one of its branches was a purple-and-black raven watching them with glittering green eyes. Without a sound, it spread its large wings and took to the air, circling once over their heads, and then flying north, keeping low below the everpresent mist that seemed to hover over the land bordering Dragonspine permanently.

  “Follow her,” was all Kaeya said. Their journey continued.

  Cara kept her eyes on the bird as often as possible while they left the Dragonspine area. They passed the Frostbearing Tree, with its unnatural warmth seeping invitingly into her chilled bones. The Frostarm Lawlachurl sitting near it gave them no trouble, but seemed to focus its gaze on her specifically as it watched them without uttering a sound. The raven led them down a noticeable road by the Fatui camp set up not far from the Frostbearing Tree, and then over the broken stone bridge that would bring them into the Windwail Highland. They did not go through the adventurer camp, even though it would have been nice to pick up some warm goulash from Harris if they had. It was probably for the best that they avoided it, since none of them had any idea how the people there would react to seeing the face of the imposter walking free among them once again.

  They broke off from the road to cross through tall grass and had to stop at the edge of a small canyon cutting their path in half. The raven flew across it and landed on the roof of an empty Shrine of the Depths to wait for them. Cara peered over the cliff and down at the road below, her stomach turning slightly when she saw how far of a drop she would take if she were to go over.

  “Looks like we’re going to have to glide,” Kaeya said.

  “But I don’t have a glider,” Cara told him.

  “Hm. Well, I guess I could carry you. I’m sure I can hold onto you long enough before I lose my grip and send you plummeting to your doom.” Kaeya studied the distance between their cliff and the one beyond.

  The raven cried out impatiently and flapped its wings.

  “Um, Your Grace, if I may have your ear for a moment?” Sucrose asked timidly. “I could have a way to solve this problem. As you know, I have an Anemo Vision. I can conjure up minor recreations of Anemo-based lifeforms. They are rather unstable, but I think if I can create one that’s small enough, it won’t tear you apart with its wind and can maybe carry you to the other side…now that I say it out loud, it doesn’t sound like such a good idea…but it might be worth a shot at trying.”

  “Are you sure it’ll be safe?” Bennett asked.

  Sucrose shrugged. “Maybe? I’ve tested it before, but only on small animals and monsters.”

  “I think we should trust Sucrose!” Klee said. “She’s very smart, and her wind powers are very strong! The Anemo Archon wouldn’t have given her a Vision if he thought she couldn’t handle it!”

  “That’s…very mature of you to say, Klee. And thank you. Your Grace, may I help you across?”

  Cara drew in a breath and hid her hesitation. “Okay.”

  Sucrose’s Vision started to glow when she stepped back and bunched her hands together in a ball. Anemo rapidly began to swirl around her closed fists. “Enhanced Anemo Module 75!” she yelled. She flung her hands outward and released the built-up energy. Wind hit all of their faces when a large Anemo spirit formed from Sucrose’s elemental burst. Cara gasped when she was picked up by the gusts of air and carried haphazardly over the canyon. The wind spirit dumped her rather unceremoniously on the other side and then dissolved away in a burst of teal light.

  She stood up on shaky legs and watched her friends glide smoothly over the canyon. “Cara alright?” Razor asked when he thumped down beside her and withdrew his wings.

  “Yup, everything’s still in working order. Thanks for the lift, Sucrose. That was actually sort of fun.”

  Sucrose blushed at the praise. “I-oh-I mean-um-you’re welcome, Your Grace.”

  The raven cawed again and took flight. “We’re almost there,” Kaeya said. “Let’s keep going.”

  The afternoon was warm and clear, and Cara found herself readily acclimating to the pleasant weather she had left behind during her month-long stay in Dragonspine. The sun peeked out from behind the occasional cloud, kissing her skin with a warmth so very different from that of a fire. The wind sang through the bushes and the trees, played through the grass, caressed her hair and called out its joyful announcement to the world around it with vigor. “Here she is, our beloved Creator, returning to us from the peaks of the frozen mountain! After so much time, we can see her again, hear her again, and bask in her glorious light! Come now, creatures of Monstadt, witness the return of your god!”

  “Is it just me, or are there more animals than usual out and about?” Bennett asked.

  He was right. Just like her first day in Teyvat, the wildlife around them seemed to be more active than usual. Foxes watched them from beneath the trees, grazing deer lifted their heads to look at them with their gentle gazes, and birds sang a rejoicing melody. All the while the wind continued to fly and dance and sing.

  “The wind,” Cara stated with partial disbelief. “The wind is calling to them. I…I can understand it.”

  Her friends all exchanged intrigued glances, but said nothing when they saw how her expression was alive with wonder as she basked in Teyvat’s embrace. She was so enthralled, she didn’t even notice when her traveler outfit glowed gold and shed its winter version to return to its previous summer look.

  The wind lost its strength when Monstadt City grew near. Its voice weakened to a whisper, urgently breathing its final message into Cara’s ears. “We cannot communicate with you here. He is cutting us off from you and bending us to his will. Once you are behind those walls, we will have no choice but to obey him. You will be on your own.”

  Silence befell her senses. Teyvat’s presence disappeared, and she was alone. Her connection to the world had grown stronger over the course of a month, but she was still in the domain of the Anemo Archon. He would always have the upper hand while she was here…unless she got her hands on his gnosis, which felt more and more like an impossible task by the second. She breathed in through her nose and held it deep within her stomach before slowly letting it out. There would be no panicking. Just because she couldn’t communicate with Teyvat didn’t mean she was alone. Razor, Bennett, Kaeya, Sucrose, and Klee were with her, and from what Kaeya had told her back at Albedo’s camp, more allies would be joining them soon. She was going to be okay, she told herself. She wasn’t alone.

  They climbed down a short cliff and found themselves back on a road again, in a secluded portion not far from Springvale and Monstadt City. The raven landed on a large boulder and cried out once. Its body grew and shifted from the shape of a bird to that of a human girl. Fischl and Oz separated and returned to their own bodies. The Electro user crossed her legs and flipped back her hair. “Behold!” she cried with a flashy smile. “Thou thought what you saw was nothing more than a simple raven! But it was actually I, Fischl, Prinzessin der Verurteilung, in the form of my faithful familiar!”

  Oz landed on his master’s shoulder and bowed his head in greeting. “A fine afternoon it is, Almother Caratrice and friends of the Creator. How do you do? Mein Fräulein and I noticed you all traveling down Dragonspine during one of our usual checkups. We assumed this was a clear sign that the plan Sir Kaeya decided upon in case of emergencies was being put into action. Our other ally has been contacted, and I anticipate her arrival at any moment.”

  “Thank you, Oz,” Kaeya said. “You have my gratitude.”

  “Did you know I could possess Oz and take to the skies so readily?” Fischl asked, completely unaware of the conversation happening. “It is a clear sign of our bond. Oz and I are two pieces of the same whole, and whenever I deem it necessary, I call upon the tethers that bind us and unite our souls! ‘Tis quite an impressive achievement, is it not?”

  “Tis,” both Cara, Razor, and Bennett agreed at the same time.

  Kaeya caught Cara’s attention. “Your Grace, I may be a little late, telling you this now, but Fischl and Oz have been keeping an eye on you for the past month. Fischl can possess Oz and go wherever she pleases in his form, you know, so she was the perfect candidate to make sure you were safe and the hounds were nowhere near your location.”

  “We sincerely hope we were not crossing any boundaries by doing so,” Oz added. “If we did, we did not mean to upset you. We were only worried for your safety, you see?”

  “Oh, it’s okay, I don’t mind,” Cara assured him. “It’s actually nice to know you guys were looking out for me. Thank you for caring so much.”

  “There is no need to thank us, Your Grace!” Fischl crossed her arms and held her head high. “We are thou devoted acolytes, after all! For the God Above All Gods, I would shed my lifeforce, spill my blood, and bring the Immernachtreich crashing down in a glorious eclipse of darkness and light if it meant to shield you from the horrors of this world! To protect you is our purpose!”

  “M-Maybe we don’t have to resort to such violent actions in order to help me?” Cara suggested. “Just being my friend is enough.”

  From behind them, there was the clinking of armor. The first thought that ran through Cara’s head upon hearing it was The knights. They heard us. They found me. Instantly she had her sword drawn and was in a defensive stance. Kaeya, Bennett, and Razor pressed close to her with their own weapons bristling. Sucrose grabbed Klee and retreated further behind the boulder. Fischl and Oz looked on, neither of them worried. “There is no need to attack!” the prinzessin announced. “We are not faced with the presence of an enemy, but a friend! Lower thy weapons!”

  The young woman in front of them flung up her hands and shook with panic. “W-Wait, please! I assure you, I mean no harm!”

  Sucrose timidly emerged out of the boulder’s shadow. “Noelle?”

  “It is Noelle!” Klee exclaimed. “She made it, she made it!”

  “Yes, I did.” The warrior maid lowered her hands. “I’m so sorry for startling you all. I hurried here as quickly as I could after Oz delivered the message to me.”

“Were you followed? Did anyone notice you?” Kaeya asked.

  “No, I made sure to cover my tracks diligently. No one should know I’m here.” Noelle curtseyed to Cara elegantly. “Your Grace, it is my pleasure and honor to be in your holy presence. I am Noelle, maid of the Knights of Favonius. I am here to serve and protect you in any way possible.”

  “Noelle.” Cara smiled when she said her name. “You don’t need to introduce yourself, I know who you are. Please, call me Cara. I’m so happy to finally meet you.”

  “Oh, no!” Noelle shook her head insistingly. “I must address you in the way you deserve to be! I could never speak to a god in such a casual manner, especially the Almother of Teyvat!”

  “I’m-I’m not-” Cara sighed and gave up. There’s no getting through to them.

  “What is the trouble? Do you need healing supplies? Food? Water? Whatever you need, I’ll bring it to you!” Noelle brought out her backpack and started to rummage through it. “I have potions as well, both offensive and defensive. If any stitches or bandage application is needed, I can do that, too! Oh Razor, don’t give me that look. Being a maid includes helping others heal! I assure you, I know what I’m doing.”

  “Much of that may come in handy later, but for now, no, we don’t need any supplies,” Kaeya said. “What we do need is your help.”

  Noelle nodded eagerly. “Yes, help! I can certainly provide that. What do you need help with?”

  Razor pointed at Monstadt City in the distance. “We need to go there.”

  “There?” Noelle followed his indication of direction. “Oh, surely you don’t mean the city. It is far too dangerous for Her Grace to go there. If the Acting Grand Master was to see her, she would kill her on sight.”

  “We know,” Cara said. “Believe me, if I could avoid going back, I would. But there’s something in the city that I need to do. I have to get in without being seen.”

  “Your Grace, I apologize for questioning you, but I don’t believe there is truly anything important enough in there that is worth risking your life over. You don’t understand what it’s been like since you escaped twice. There are wanted posters with your face on them covering every street lamp and bulletin board! And it’s not just the Knights of Favonius who are hunting you anymore either, it’s the citizens, too! I even had a bard ask me if I’ve seen you anywhere. The way he looked at me almost made me think he knew I was secretly one of your followers!”

  “Oh no,” Cara breathed. “A bard?” The phantom pain of Venti’s arrow gutting her stomach made her clutch her middle.

  “Yes, a bard.” Noelle tilted her head quizzically at her reaction. “Is he someone you know? If so, I would suggest avoiding him. He doesn’t seem to be very fond of you.”

  She didn’t comment, far too spooked at the prospect of Venti tracking her every move. Razor noticed her distress and patted her back. Kaeya took over the conversation. “I understand where your concern for Her Grace is coming from, but this is a matter of urgency that cannot be ignored. We need to get into the city. It is the key to Cara gaining mastery over the wind. That is why you and Fischl are here. The two of you, as well as Sucrose and Klee, aren’t suspected by the knights as being traitors to the false Creator. You can clear a path for us and get us safely in without causing unwanted detection.”

  “But that means-oh no.” Noelle gasped. “The hounds, they saw you!”

  “Yes, they did. Jean must know by now that I can no longer be trusted, which means my connections and the advantages I can offer us are lost. It’s up to you now.”

  “Please,” Cara added. “Help us.”

  Noelle sighed. “If this is something you must do…then I will stand by you and help. I’ll get you into the city!”

  “I shall also help you sneak into the lair of thy enemy and acquire the prize that will bend the power of Anemo to thy will!” Fischl announced. “Oz and I shall do all within our power to deliver Her Grace from the claws of fate that would seek to snatch her at every turn, and to ready our minds lest we be required to make the ultimate sacrifice in the performance of this noblest of duties! But first, I must comment on the fact that thou art no longer in possession of the gifts from the Immernachtreich I bestowed upon thee the last time we met.”

  Cara winced guiltily when she recalled the tattered remains of the wig and Fatui mask Fischl gave her. “Yes, I don’t have them anymore. They got destroyed when I teleported to Dragonspine through a waypoint. I’m really sorry. I can find a way to pay you back for them, I promise.”

  “Pay me back?” Fischl looked flabbergasted. “Why wouldst thou wishest to pay me back? Those ‘gifts of the Immernachtreich’ were only pointless baubles, now that I think about it. I have plenty more back in my abode. For such things to be destroyed during your valiant escape via timespace is undoubtedly expected. Oz and I have traveled between the waypoints countless times when possessed by your guiding light. To survive such a mode of travel without the protection your presence supplies is an unbelievable feat.”

  “Indeed, you have no reason to apologize, Your Grace,” Oz agreed. “Everyone here understands how dangerous it is to use teleport waypoints. I myself have lost a few feathers when traveling between them.”

  “We knew such an occurrence might happen. So, your devoted worshiper decided to have another gift of the Immernachtreich crafted so that your face may be hidden from the hunters.” Fischl held out a box elegantly wrapped in red-and-gold paper with a teal bow on top. “For you! Please, open it!”

  “A gift for me?” Cara shook her head. “Oh, Fischl, I couldn’t possibly-”

  “Quell thy humbleness! You are a god. It is completely natural for you to be accepting offerings from followers! Now open!”

  Cara reluctantly accepted the present and carefully tore the wrapping paper away. Inside the box, nestled over teal tissue paper, was a mask of a white dragon with storm blue eyes. Portions of the wood were carved to resemble fur, and a set of three horns, with the longest on top of the head and the second two running down the sides, made it look intimidating and fierce. A single golden diamond star was painted on the center of its forehead.

  “Woah, cool!” Bennett said. “That’s a windtrace mask! Back when the aristocracy ruled Monstadt, the underground rebellion would wear these to hide their identities. Nowadays, people usually wear them during Ludi Harpastum or to masquerade parties.”

  “Mein Fräulein and I commissioned the kind owner of the gift shop in town,” Oz explained. “We were planning on giving it to you regardless of whether you still had the wig and previous mask, but this is a much better circumstance. It is modeled after Caratrice’s true form.”

  Cara ran her hands over the mask, marveling at the craftsmanship. “So, this…is supposed to be me?”

  “Mhm!” Fischl nodded. “I am sure you have already heard about the secret fire that lies within you. There is a poem I know that perfectly describes it. “The Six-Winged Queen rides the wind, with flaming breath and mouth agrin. Atop Her head is a golden star, a sign of power that spreads afar.” Your Grace, please wear this gift with all of the health and goodwill Teyvat may offer, and only cast it aside when your true dragonic body is restored!”

  Cara slid the mask over her face. It fit her perfectly, and though her range of sight was now even more limited than before-having one eye bandaged and the other restricted by the peephole of a mask wasn’t exactly the recipe for perfect vision-she could still see okay. Fischl let out a little squeal. “Perfect! Exquisite! Wonderful! Now thou truly appear as a hidden dragon!”

  “SO COOL!” Klee clapped her hands. “I want a windtrace mask, too! Sucrose, can we go get one from Marjorie? I want mine to look like Jumpty Dumpty!”

  “Maybe later,” Sucrose said. “I don’t think Mr. Albedo would be very happy with us if we were to go shopping instead of helping Her Grace complete her mission.”

  Razor observed the mask warily.  “Look different,” he muttered. “Look fierce, but not fierce like wolf. Dragon fierce. Scarier.”

  Cara chuckled at his comments. “I promise I’m not going to start breathing fire and burning down villages. Even if I were to turn into a dragon, I’d be a good one. One Stormterror incident for Monstadt is enough.” She turned to Kaeya. “What do you think?”

  “It is truly a beautiful piece of art,” he said. “I doubt that anyone will want to mess with you while you are wearing it. You know, the legends of old never spoke of the Creator wearing a special mask. However, now? Now I think that many, many people will be depicting you with this on after you defeat the true imposter and reclaim your throne. It suits you. When I look at it, I still feel like I’m talking to the same person underneath. That, I appreciate.”

  “I’m glad you guys love it as much as I do. Thank you so much, Fischl and Oz. I won’t let this mask get destroyed like the last one. From now on, it goes into my backpack if I ever need to use a teleport waypoint again.”

  “We are glad you like it, Your Grace,” Oz said. “May it bring you eternal protection and good luck. I certainly believe we are ready to infiltrate the city of winds, now.”

  “Yes, I agree,” Noelle said. “Where is it you wish to go, Your Grace? I will be sure to take you there safely.”

  Cara lifted the mask and looked out at Monstadt. She saw the steeples of the church and heard the bell begin to ring. The wind blew, leaving her with an unsettling feeling of eyes boring into the back of her skull. She thought she could smell cecilias.

  “The cathedral,” she answered. “We need to make it there without anyone seeing us.”

  “Oh.” Noelle’s voice lost its optimism. “That…should prove to be a bit of a problem. You see, I’ve memorized the times of day that the church holds mass services in case I must be there to help with anything. And, if I’m correct about this, there should be one going on right now. We would be going in the middle of it.”

  “The cathedral is also pretty far from the city entrances,” Bennett added. “This won’t be like the last time we snuck in. It’s the middle of the afternoon, there’s going to be so many people around.”

  “That is what the mask is for, dear Bennett,” Fischl told him.

  “Exactly! Cara’s the only one with a mask! How’re Razor, Kaeya, and I going to get in without being recognized? We’re wanted criminals!”

  “I have an idea!” Klee piped up. “Your Grace, can I add to the big plan? Please, please, please? I know just what to do!” She whispered excitedly into her ear.

  A grin split Cara’s face. “Oh, Klee, that sounds awesome.”

  Klee’s eyes were sparkling. “You really think so?”

  “What are you two planning over there?” Kaeya asked. “Don’t tell me you're planning on blowing up Monstadt’s walls to get us in.”

  “Well…I wouldn’t say her idea is that extreme,” Cara said. “But it does involve blowing things up. Alright, I think we might have a plan to put in motion.”

  A few minutes later, Cara was crouched in a crowding of bushes with Noelle. They were near Monstadt’s side gate, and she could see multiple knights standing guard. Since her last escape, Jean seemed to have upped the amount of surveillance around the city. But if their plan worked, these knights would be no problem for them to evade.

  She made eye contact with Fischl, who was again possessing Oz’s form and sitting in a tree. The raven dipped her head in a silent nod, then crowed loudly. That was the signal. Immediately, Klee poked her head out from behind the tree, looked cautiously around, and then frolicked over to the edge of Cider Lake. In her arms was a bunch of Jumpty Dumpty bombs, all of them primed and ready for a round of fish-blasting.

  Sucrose followed closely behind Klee and frequently glanced at the guarding knights with fear in her eyes. Thankfully, they hadn’t been noticed yet. Cara held her breath when she watched Klee pass some of the Jumpty Dumpties to Sucrose. Operation ‘Fish-Blast Distraction Time,’ as Klee had dubbed it, commenced.

  The first bomb was thrown into the lake and went off with a deafening noise, sending an explosion of water rocketing into the sky. Klee laughed gleefully. “Wow, look at how big that explosion was! Come on Sucrose, you try!”

  “Ah-um.” Sucrose held the bombs in front of her like she was afraid they might blow up at the slightest hint of movement. “Okay, h-here I go.” She tossed one of them into the lake. Immediately upon hitting the water, it exploded. Sucrose jumped back and squeaked when water rained down on her.

  Klee clapped her hands and danced in the spray. “Woohoo! Oh, fish-blasting is so much fun!” she purposely yelled. “I really hope no knights see us doing this!”

  “Hey, what’s going on over there?” As hoped for, one of the knights standing guard had heard the commotion and ventured off to investigate. “Klee and Sucrose? What are you two doing?”

  Sucrose floundered for words. “Oh, we were just-um-ah…”

  “Fish-blasting!” Klee finished for her.

  The knight sighed sternly. “You guys know the Acting Grand Master doesn’t like it when those bombs are set off too close to the city. I’m going to need to ask you to stop this immediately, or I’ll be forced to bring you both in to solitary confinement.”

  “Oh no!” Klee feigned horror. She displayed a wonderful performance of throwing up her hands…which sent the remaining Jumpty Dumpties flying towards the knights. All of them reacted as Cara wanted; screaming in alarm as the bombs went off in midair, running in various directions, all of them trying to escape the possibility of being blown to bits.

  In the midst of the chaos, Fischl cawed again. She took to the air and flew through the side gate, going unnoticed by the panicked knights. Cara and Noelle followed, and out from another cluster of bushes, so did Kaeya, Bennett, and Razor. As they ran, she made eye contact with Sucrose, who sent a shaky smile her way and a thumbs up. “Good luck,” the alchemist mouthed, and then resumed throwing Klee’s bombs.

  “I can’t believe that worked,” Bennett said when they were within the city’s walls. “Do you think Sucrose and Klee will be okay?”

  “Oh, I have no doubt the two of them will be just fine,” Kaeya answered. “I would be more worried for the safety of those knights. Let’s hope none of them accidentally end up like the fish Klee enjoys blasting so much.” He examined their surroundings cautiously. “It looks like we’re in the clear. Cara and Noelle, you two head for the cathedral and get that lyre. Bennett, Razor, and I will prepare for your way of escape when you’re done there.”

  Noelle nodded. “Understood.”

  “Are you sure you guys will be safe while getting through the city?” Cara asked them anxiously. “I don’t want you three getting seen or caught.”

   “There is no need to worry, Your Grace.” A mixture of Fischl and Oz’s voices emanated from the night raven perched on the stack of wooden crates near them. “I shall be their eyes. No harm will come to them while I am watching.”

  “We run and stay in the shadows like wolf pack,” Razor said. “We fast, silent, sneaky. This I know how to do. I will show Bennett and Kaeya to do also.”

  “Don’t worry about us, Cara, we’ve got this!” Bennett assured her. “We’ll be okay. Will you be okay, too? What you're doing is a million times more dangerous than what we’re going to go through.”

  “I’ll be alright,” Cara told him. “I know how to fight, and I won’t be alone. Noelle is with me.”

  “That’s right,” Noelle said. “If any harm is to come to Her Grace, my shield will activate to protect her. You can count on me!”

  “See?” Cara smiled. “We’ll be fine. Just promise me you’ll be fine, too?”

  Bennett smiled back. “Of course! We promise, right?”

  Razor grunted in agreement. “Yes!”

  “We’ll be as safe as can be,” Kaeya said. “I swear it. You must promise to be safe too, alright? If anything is to go wrong that is too much for you and Noelle to handle, your Creator’s Call will activate, and we’ll teleport to you.”

  “Knowing that’s a thing makes me feel a lot better,” Cara said. She held a fist out to them. Bennett was the first to bump it back, followed by Razor, and then Kaeya. “I promise Noelle and I will get out of there alive. We’ll be back together before you guys know it.”

  “Yeah, that’s the spirit!” Bennett moved with enthusiasm and started for the staircase that would bring them up to the main level of the city. “Come on! Operation Steal the Lyre is a-go!”

  “But I thought Klee named mission Fish-Blast Distraction time,” Razor said when he followed him.

  “No, that was the last mission,” Bennett explained. “This one is different. There are two missions that make up the entire plan, you see?”

  Razor thought it over carefully. “I think…I understand. Yes, this is new mission. Mission where we act, like wolf pack hunting deer!”

  “Uh, yeah, exactly!” Bennett agreed. “But instead of hunting deer, we’re hunting a lyre and a way to make our final escape!”

  “Those two are certainly quite the characters,” Kaeya said to Cara with a fond sigh.

  Cara chuckled. “This wouldn’t be the same without them. Please, watch over them and keep them safe. And don’t forget to keep yourself safe too, alright? Remember what I said at Albedo’s camp. I don’t want you dying on me.”

  Kaeya smiled reassuringly. “Understood. You do the same, as well. Be careful. Stay safe.”

  They parted ways with Kaeya, Bennett, and Razor ducking into the alleys of buildings and disappearing into the shadows. Fischl followed them from the air soundlessly. Cara adjusted her mask to make sure it was covering her entire face. “Ready?” she asked Noelle.

  The other girl nodded. “Ready. Let's go.”

  Cara was on edge as her and Noelle walked calmly, yet quickly, through the streets of Monstadt. Though her mask was secure and no one paid her any sort of mind, she still couldn’t help but feel like she was being watched. Noelle had been right about the wanted posters; they covered what felt like every available surface, from the sides of buildings to even the front doors of stores and restaurants. There also was an incredible influx of knights patrolling the streets. Every time she saw the crest of the shield and double swords, anxiety shot through her.

  “Noelle,” she said. “Are you sure no one is going to stop us?”

  “Hm? Oh, most likely not,” Noelle replied. “I am well known by practically every knight in Monstadt. They trust me completely, and have no reason to think I’m doing something against the law.”

  “What about getting into the cathedral’s basement?” Cara avidly remembered one of the quests back from Genshin Impact’s prologue that was awfully similar to their current situation. “From what I know, getting in there won’t be easy. We need signed papers and permission from both Jean and the Church of Favonius.”

  “No need to worry about that,” Noelle assured her. “I have all three.”

  “Wait. Y-you do?”

  “Yup! I’m sometimes called in to help tidy up the church’s basement every few weeks. Both Jean, Barbara, and Cardinal Calvin signed off on the papers, allowing me to enter and leave at my leisure. They trust me not to steal or break anything…well, they used to, I guess I should say. But that’s not the important thing! What matters is that we won’t be stopped when we go in!”

  “Noelle…” Shame hit Cara’s heart when she thought about her being punished for breaking the trust of both the knights and the church. “You don’t have to do this. I can get in and out of the church on my own. I don’t want you getting caught.”

  “Your Grace, don’t say such nonsense!” Noelle insisted. “I want you to know that I don’t regret choosing to help you, not for a single moment! To stand by your side is a privilege and an honor. You have no idea how happy I am to have been spared from being infected by the Madness plaguing people’s minds. Even if my friends decide to turn against me after they find out I’m helping you, I won’t abandon my duty as one of your Vessels. I know that by doing this, I’m going to give you a chance to save everyone! So please, don’t feel guilty. I am choosing this path. Rest assured no one is forcing me.”

  She sounded so earnest, and her words were so sincere. Cara knew Noelle was not one to lie. So despite still feeling guilty, she smiled beneath her mask and looked forward. “Thank you for staying by my side, Noelle.”

  “Thank you for giving me the opportunity to do so, Your Grace.” Noelle’s tone softened when they entered the courtyard of the cathedral. “Let’s continue this conversation later, though. There are too many sisters and knights around here that could hear us. Just follow my lead, alright? I’ll keep you safe.”

  The courtyard was alive with activity, with far more people than Cara anticipated mingling with each other and going to and fro. At the center of it all stood the statue of Barbatos, which, to her surprise, was much larger than how it looked in Genshin Impact. At its feet, a group of sisters were praying with the people, their hands folded piously. Cara could hear some of what they were saying: “Lord Barbatos, protect us. Lord Barbatos, watch over us.”

  Two young children ran past them, laughing while they played. The scent of flowers was in the air, and when Cara peered up at the top of the Barbatos statue, she saw that its head and arms were decorated with woven cecilias. She paused to simply observe the people around her, heart swelling with a strange sense of proudness and pride. When they weren’t trying to hunt her down and kill her, Monstadt’s people were so good. Teyvat’s people were good. She wished she could join them in their happiness.

  “It must mean a lot to you, to see your creations thriving in this way,” Noelle said. She, too, was smiling.

  “I’m not the Caratrice who created this.” Cara gestured to the liveliness of the courtyard. “I could never create something this wonderful. Whatever I’ve made can’t compare to it.”

  “Hm. You are right about one thing. You aren’t the original Caratrice. But even so, you are still her legacy. That means you are destined for greatness.” The bell of the cathedral started to toll. Noelle looked at the bell tower. “That’s our sign that the mass has reached its halfway point. Let’s go sit in for the rest so we don’t seem overly suspicious.”

  Every head of the gathered congregation turned to look at her and Noelle when they slipped into the cathedral. The large wooden doors echoed shut behind them, temporarily competing with the mighty music of the organ being belted out through the giant chamber. All eyes were on them for only a moment, because everyone’s attention immediately returned to the booming voice of the cardinal saying mass when they saw Noelle there-she really was so well known throughout the city that her presence put people at ease. The young cardinal was not someone who Cara recognized, but with the way he spoke, it was clear to her that he was the one in charge of the prayer service.

  “That’s Cardinal Calvin,” Noelle whispered to her. “He’s taken over the duties of leading the church while the Seneschal is away. We must try not to gain unwanted attention from him. Follow my lead.” She steered Cara to the farthest pew from the altar, which was, thankfully, empty for them. “Act like you are praying and follow along with the mass.”

  Cara silently nodded, too afraid to speak a word. She was such an infamous person throughout Monstadt now that even allowing strangers to hear her voice could be a threat to her safety. She did as Noelle said, facing the front of the church just as everyone else was. The interior was not an exact copy of the one she saw frequently in Genshin Impact: rather, it was much more detailed, with a gigantic stained glass window of Barbatos looking over the congregation right above the altar and organ. The god’s image had his arms outstretched, with various kinds of native Monstadt birds fluttering around him, cecilias and windwheel asters held in their beaks. His wings, open wide, were accented in multiple shades of light blue to beautifully coincide with the white of his feathers. The entire building was lit up with bursts of color brought out by the rays of the sun traveling through the stained glass windows all throughout the church. Cara was moved by the sight; she didn’t consider herself a particularly religious person, but she could see why the people of Monstadt worshiped Barbatos so dutifully, despite him being absent from their nation for years. He wasn’t just the god of the wind or of freedom. He was the god of beauty as well.

  “Let us kneel,” Cardinal Calvin announced. The congregation shuffled to their knees. Cara followed suit, mimicking Noelle when she lowered herself onto the wooden kneelers that stuck out from underneath the pews. The maid dipped her head reverently and closed her eyes, whispering a single quiet prayer. “Kyrie eleison.” Latin. Lord, have mercy.

  Cardinal Calvin’s voice was like a thunderclap. “The lord, the Mighty One, is Barbatos. He knows, and may Monstadt also know.”

  “Kyrie eleison.”

  “The lord, Barbatos, knows the secrets of our hearts. Our guilt is not hidden from him.”

  “Kyrie eleison.”

  Cara’s mask felt heavy against her face. She stared at the great image of Barbatos. Half-lidded eyes, kind. A tender smile, arms and wings beckoning. Come and face me.

  “Kyrie eleison.”

  “He knows your secrets.”

  The air was stuffy and thick with the scent of church. Heart heavy. Guilt starting to weigh her down.

  “Secrets.”

  Those eyes were looking right at her. No longer kind; rather, mocking. Amused. I know. I know. Kyrie eleison. Lord, have mercy. Barbatos, have mercy. Pray. Pray for mercy. Stealing from the divine. Fighting someone you love. He wants to kill you. He will lift his weapon against you and pierce your heart with the power of a thousand winds. Will you retaliate? Will you forgive him? Will he forgive you?

  She pressed her clasped hands over her mask and closed her eyes to silently pray. The kneeler’s wood dug uncomfortably into the skin of her knees. I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to fight him. I’m scared. I’m guilty. I love him. Barbatos, please, if you can hear me, give me a sign that it won’t have to come down to a fight. Show me that there’s still a part of you that remembers who I am.

  She received no answer. Barbatos had abandoned her in her time of need.

  How typical of the divine.

  The rest of the mass went by in a blur. Cara did not pay much attention beyond following Noelle’s actions and trying to make herself look like she belonged there. When the closing song ended and the congregation shuffled out of their pews and through the doors of the church, the two of them stayed behind. Noelle tapped Cara’s elbow, signaling it was time for them to move. She complied without a word, feeling dazed.

  “The cathedral empties out after masses,” Noelle explained. “But there will be knights guarding the lyre. We will have to be extra careful not to get caught.” She paused when Cara didn’t respond. “Your Grace, are you alright?”

  Cara staggered dizzily. “No,” she struggled to say, the single word sticking to her tongue like taffy.

  “Oh dear. Are you feeling ill? Do you need anything? Food? Water?” Noelle fretted over her like a mother hen. “Tell me what you need and I’ll give it to you!”

  She felt like she was in a dream. Her heart felt heavy with guilt and fear. Everything felt stifling, like the air was slowly being sucked out of her lungs.

   Sucked out of my lungs…

  A disturbing prospect popped into Cara’s mind. She realized, to her horror, that the air actually could be leaving her slowly. Barbatos could control the wind, but what was stopping him from controlling air in general? She grabbed Noelle’s hands and pushed her forward slightly, panicked. “I can’t stay here,” she whispered urgently. “Barbatos, he’s watching me, watching us. We need to go.”

  “Barbatos?” Noelle looked confused. “How can you tell? Can you sense him? Your Grace?”

  Beyond the sound of her voice, Cara began to hear something else. It started off quiet, but rapidly grew louder. Her ears focused on it against their will. The plucking of a lyre. The tune of an ominous song.

  She turned around to look back at the cathedral’s front doors. And there, sitting in one of the pews, was Venti. He raised his gaze to meet hers, and smiled that same dangerous smile she had seen him wear at the Cat’s Tail. “Well, then? What are you staring at me for?” he asked. “I’m not done having my fun with you. Don’t be shy. Go.”

   “Your Grace!” She was wrenched out of the trance by Noelle. “Your Grace, what’s wrong? You were staring out into space just now!”

  Cara felt like she had been dreaming. She stared blankly at Noelle, then looked back at the pew Venti had been sitting in. He was gone, as if he had never been there at all. Perhaps he hadn’t. The song the bard was playing on his lyre had disappeared, too. It was just her and Noelle in an empty church again. Even the air had returned to normal.

  “He’s making me see things,” she whispered. Of course, she had known Venti was capable of creating illusions, but she hadn’t thought his abilities would be this influential. Never underestimate a god, I suppose.

  Troubled, Noelle tried bringing her over to the nearest pew. “Your Grace, you are not well. Why don’t you sit down for a moment, and we can take some time to rest? Maybe that would help you feel better?”

  “Did you not see someone sitting over there just now?” Cara asked her, pointing to the back of the church.

  “No, I didn’t. It’s just been us here since the mass ended. You were talking about Barbatos watching you, and then you went silent. I was calling your name, but it was like you couldn’t hear me.”

  Cara breathed in, and out. Don’t panic. No panicking. Venti was obviously here, but he was only trying to intimidate her. As long as he wasn’t trying to actively kill her, she couldn’t stop. “Let’s keep going.”

  Noelle protested. “But-!”

  “I promise I’m fine. The air in here is just a little thin.” Cara forced her legs to move. She took the lead, heading to the front of the altar. The staircase descending into the depths of the building was not hard to find. They were exactly where she remembered them being from when she completed Monstadt’s Archon Quest.

  Noelle was still obviously a bit shaken up, but she didn’t try to stop Cara again. “When we go down there, we will have to be as stealthy as possible. There will be many knights and members of the church staff.”

  “I’m ready. Let’s go.”

  The staircase brought them down, down, down, spiraling deeper and deeper with the stone walls closing in. Just when Cara thought it was never going to end-that maybe this was another one of Venti’s tricks-they arrived at their destination, walking out onto a stone balcony. Noelle ushered her to crouch, and together, the two of them peeked over the ledge to see what they were dealing with. The basement was mainly filled with bookshelves and desks, most likely holding various sorts of religious documents and texts. Far on the other end of the vast room, Cara could see the Holy Lyre der Himmel sitting on a pedestal with a light shining upon it like a homing beacon. Scattered through their way were indeed many knights.

  “They sure do take guarding the lyre seriously,” Cara muttered.

  “They have to in case people try stealing it,” Noelle whispered. “Church protocols. But not to worry, I know the best ways to sneak by them. Just follow me.”

  They slowly made their way towards the lyre. The knights were digilent and attentive. There were moments when Cara thought they were going to be caught for sure. But Noelle was true to her word, and led the way without any hiccups. When they made it to the pedestal, the lyre was before them like the ultimate prize. Its wood was scuffed, and the metal was tarnished, a clear sign of its old age.

  “It doesn’t look very holy,” Cara whispered.

  “No, it doesn’t,” Noelle whispered back. “But this is definitely it. They wouldn’t have this much security for an ordinary lyre. Go and take it, quickly. I’ll stand guard and watch.”

  Cara stepped up to the pedestal and placed her hands on the lyre. Immediately, she felt a faint presence of Anemo lingering on it. This was indeed the Holy Lyre der Himmel. If things went right, taking this would draw Venti to her and give her the chance to take his gnosis.

  “Venti,” she breathed, then paused. No, that isn’t right. She wasn’t trying to talk to Venti right now. “Barbatos.”

  The air around her vibrated. “I know you can hear me,” she continued. “You're here right now, watching me, right? I’m about to take your lyre. You know what I want for it in return.”

  “Your Grace,” Noelle said urgently. “I’d suggest we hurry. If we stay here any longer, they’ll find us.”

  “If you want your lyre back, come and find me. No illusions. No tricks. If you don’t-” She hesitated over her next words, knowing she was playing with fire. “If you don’t, I’ll break it with my bare hands.”

  “Your Grace, it’s time to go!” Noelle hissed.

  Cara grabbed the lyre and stuffed it into her backpack. She followed Noelle back the route they came, evading the knights with rushed urgency. Surely it wouldn’t take long for the knights to realize that the thing they were guarding had mysteriously disappeared, but hopefully by the time they did, she and Noelle would be long gone.

  “This is going far smoother than I thought it would,” she said when they arrived back in the cathedral.

  “If we are being honest with one another, I thought it would be harder to take it, too.” Noelle exhaled. “That was quite nerve-wracking and not at all what I’m used to helping people with. Um…you are planning on returning the lyre, right?”

  “Oh, yeah, of course! All I need to do is play a song on it to summon Barbatos. After that, I’ll find some way to get it back here safely.”

  They were about to push through the church’s doors, and Cara a little lighter. They were home free! Their plan had actually worked! They were-!

  “Stop! Noelle, please wait!”

  A voice rang out through the church. Cara’s hand was inches away from the door, their access to freedom within an arm’s reach. But a hushed “Oh no,” from Noelle made her stop and turn to see who exactly had called out to them.

  It wasn’t one of the knights from the basement. It wasn’t a churchgoer or regular civilian, either. And thank god it wasn’t Venti-though she really wasn’t exactly sure why he wasn’t trying harder to stop her even though he knew she was here. Rushing towards them, heels clicking frantically against the tile of the floor, was Barbara.

  “Oh, Barbara!” Noelle’s voice was overly cheerful. “It’s wonderful to see you! Do you need help with something?”

  “Yes!” Barbara avidly answered. “Yes, I definitely need your help right now! Someone has stolen the Holy Lyre der Himmel!”

  Cara was thankful she was wearing a mask, because she could only imagine how terrified she looked right now. Noelle’s face twisted with horror, which, she could imagine, was definitely not a class expression. “S-Stolen?” she stammered. “How? When?”

  “I don’t know how it happened! There are so many knights guarding it, I would have imagined it to be impossible for any thief to get by all of them without being seen!” Barbara looked like she was about to collapse. “I was cleaning out one of the old record drawers in the basement when it happened. A knight ran to me and told me someone stole it only a few moments ago! Whoever did this must have been studying the patterns of the guard’s routines for weeks!”

  Cara glanced at Noelle. The maid glanced back and looked momentarily panicked. “W-Well, don’t worry, Barbara,” she said. “We’ll find the thief! I know we will!”

  “You-you don’t think Her Grace’s imposter was the one who stole it, do you?” Barbara asked. “Why would she want the holy lyre? Must she also taint Lord Barbatos’ good name, too?”

   Lord Barbatos’ good name my ass, Cara thought bitterly. Noelle glanced at her again, silently begging her to keep quiet. “If it was the imposter, then we must track her down and bring her to justice. I’ll go and report this to Jean. You should stay here, uh, in case the thief comes back to steal anything else.”

  “There’s no need for you to leave.”

  A new voice joined them. From the shadows of the church’s corners, a menacing figure emerged. When Cara saw Rosaria, she felt her blood turn as cold as the Cryo the sister could conjure with her Vision.

  “Sister Rosaria!” Barbara said, surprised. “When did you get here? Were you there the entire time?”

  Rosaria ignored the questions. “You don’t have to go tracking the imposter down, because the imposter hasn’t gone anywhere. You’ve been standing before her the entire time.”

  “What?” Barbara questioned. “You mean Noelle?”

  Rosaria sighed wearily. “No, I’m not talking about her. I’m talking about the girl with the mask on.”

  Barbara looked at Cara like she had just realized she was there. “Huh? This person is the imposter? B-but she’s with Noelle! Why would she…I don’t think I understand…Noelle, you're helping the imposter? But that means you stole the holy lyre!”

  “Barbara, you don’t understand the urgency of the situation,” Noelle tried to plead. “All of this has been a big misunderstanding.”

  “Has it? Or are you just trying to cover your own tracks?” Rosaria’s words cut like ice. “Just admit it, you're on the imposter’s side. No use in hiding it anymore.”

  “I-I’m not afraid to admit it! I am helping the imposter. But she isn’t an imposter at all! This is Her Grace, and I’ve sworn to protect her at all costs!”

  Barbara slammed her heart over her chest and let out a mournful cry. “You're even referring to her by the Creator’s holy title! How could you? Noelle, this goes beyond stealing the holy lyre! This-this is sacrilege!”

  Rosaria rolled her eyes. “Barbara, you should go and tell Jean what’s happening here. I’ll take care of the imposter.”

  “I can’t! They’re in possession of a sacred artifact! It’s my duty to-”

  “This fight has nothing to do with you. I was appointed to be one of the people to hunt the imposter down. I’m fulfilling what was asked of me by doing this. Go, now. The lyre won’t be damaged in any way, so you don’t have to worry about it.”

  Barbara hesitated. She looked at Cara, then at Rosaria, and then ran for the church doors. Her movement snapped Cara out of her fearful stupor. “Wait!” she yelled, running after her. “Barbara, just listen to me for a moment-!”

  Great shards of ice formed in her path. Cara backpedaled away from them to avoid being potentially stabbed. Barbara’s exit was ensured; she could do nothing but watch helplessly as the deaconess fled.

  “If it makes you feel any better, which it probably won’t,” Rosaria said, “this isn’t personal. I’m just doing my job to make sure no one gets hurt. I honestly couldn’t care less if you're an imposter or not.” Her polearm appeared with a flick of her wrist. “Religious crap doesn’t matter to me. But the safety of Monstadt’s people does. By killing you, I’m making sure they stay alive.”

  Cara backed away slowly, looking for a way she and Noelle could escape. Another set of ice shards had formed in front of the church’s side doors, officially sealing them inside. “How does that way of thinking make any sense?” she yelled.

  “I’m sure you’ve heard of the ‘Creator’ that’s sitting on the Crossroads throne right now?” Rosaria replied. “Yeah, she’s not a nice person. Not a great leader, either. The more dedicated Vessels, like Barbara, look to her with love and admiration, and all she gives them in return is pain. We follow her orders because the relationship between us and her is one built by fear.”

  Cara was taken aback. “She…she hurts you?”

  Rosaria nodded. “If we don’t follow her orders, she punishes us. She uses some sort of magic to get into our heads, with her control over some stronger than others. Me, I’ve been lucky. I don’t hear her voice often, and she barely interacts with me. But with others like Jean and Barbara? They’re completely wrapped around her finger. If anyone tries to disobey her, she’ll turn us against each other. I’ve seen her use Eula to nearly break Amber’s arm. I’ve watched her take control of Barbara’s body and nearly drown a man simply because she felt like it. She’s furious you haven’t been killed yet. If you keep getting away, she’s going to start hurting people again. So, I’ll do whatever I can to keep Monstadt safe, even if it means doing the dirty work of a tyrannical god. Like I said, it’s nothing personal. These are just my orders. I promise I’ll at least make it quick.”

  There was no arguing, no pleading, and no further words. Rosaria lunged for Cara with her polearm aimed straight for her throat.

[elspethdekarios]

For the Tav Ask (if you wanna do it)

Elspeth - 13 and 30

Sable - 11 and 14

Phaer'na - 15 and 18

Eeee yay thanks!!! 💜

Left to right: Elspeth, Sable, Phaer'na

Elspeth

(high half-elf, cleric)

13. What are their thoughts on killing? Is it a necessary evil or do they enjoy it?

She definitely doesn’t enjoy it. Even when the party came upon the mindflayer at the crash site, she couldn’t bring herself to kill it, and instead left it to die. The first few days of adventuring and having to kill enemies was rough for her. Eventually she realizes it’s a necessary evil.

30. What’s your favorite thing about your tav?

This is hard! I love so many things about Elspeth. If I had to narrow it down to one word, it’s her duality. She’s proper and noble and kind, but she’s also fierce and intimidating when she needs to be. I love that she almost always has resting bitch face, but once you get to know her, you realize she truly has a heart of gold and wants to help anyone who needs it. She’s selfless, often taking a smaller portion at dinner so the other companions can have more, or giving Gale the only magical item she had at the time–the amulet of lost voices–when he revealed his condition to her. Even though it would have been incredibly useful, she didn’t hesitate to hand it over if it meant easing his suffering. I just love her so much.

Sable (resist Durge)

(wood half-elf, circle of the land druid, gloomstalker ranger)

I’ve only briefly mentioned Sable a couple times, so here’s a short backstory:

Sable is a Bhaalspawn and was adopted by half-elf parents when she was a baby. When she was a child–probably around 8 or 9–she was traveling with her family when the carriage was destroyed by a freak accident. They were on a dirt road with no one else around, and Sable crawled out of the wreckage screaming for help, only to realize her mother, father, and the horseman of the carriage were dead. She mourned, she grieved, she ran her hands through their blood and felt something awaken in her. She shook it off, unshackled the horse from its bearings, and retreated to the woods, where she lived, alone but with many animal companions, until her Urge took over and she mindlessly wandered to Baldur’s Gate, driven only by insatiable bloodlust and whatever thing had control over her.

11. Weapon of choice?

Sable is a bow and arrow girl for sure. When she was Bhaal’s chosen before the events of the game, I’m sure she enjoyed watching someone squirm under the sharp edge of a dagger, but resist!Durge Sable prefers to strike from the shadows.

14. What hobbies does your tav have?

Pre-Bhaal activating her Urge, Sable spent most of her time foraging in nature, tending to the animals, and mixing up tinctures and potions from the ingredients she found. She also enjoyed cooking and target practice.

Post-game, I think Sable has to figure out what her new hobbies are. She still finds cooking enjoyable, but feels selfish when she cooks only for herself and not Astarion. He’ll taste it, of course, but he takes no pleasure out of food, and has no need to actually eat. She still loves nature and animals, and spends as much time as she can in the forest. With Astarion unable to go out in the sun, they’ve started taking walks through the forest at night, and she has a good time seeing her familiar surroundings in the dark, noticing the nocturnal life that she normally doesn’t get to see.

Phaer’na

(seldarine drow, college of swords bard)

Phaer’na is my newest tav and I don’t know a lot about her yet! She’s a Seldarine Drow (worships Eilistraee), a bard, loves to dance, and she’s romancing Wyll.

15. What NPCs do they like? Which ones do they dislike?

Phaer’na is my only tav who likes Volo. Elspeth finds him annoying and Sable finds him just absolutely insufferable. I, personally, fall somewhere in between the two of them. But Phaer’na freaking loves Volo. She knew exactly who he was and was so excited when he joined them at camp.

18. What would your tav be doing if they weren’t kidnapped on the Nautiloid?

So I haven’t figured out yet where Phaer’na is from or how she got kidnapped, but she worked as a tailor/seamstress/fashion designer in her mother’s clothing shop before the events of the game. She enjoys it, but she’s always wanted to branch out and be an adventurer, so she would probably be either still working or on an adventure of her own. 

[bleachbleachbleach]

Called to Order(?): How to Stand in a Captain’s Meeting

[12 - 10 - 8 - 6 - 4 - 2 | 5 - 7 - 9 - 11 ]

I LOVE CAPTAIN’S MEETINGS. Obsessed. I would watch the mockumentary that’s nothing but Captain’s meetings, where Sasakibe is the designated parliamentarian and he spends hours out of his day wearily reminding people of Robert’s Rules and explaining how motions work.

I’ve heretofore assumed that these meetings always took place Madeline-style, with 12 little girls in 2 straight lines, as in the first meeting we see (above).

And my favorite Captain’s meeting is the one right after Renji is found in a soupy puddle of his own blood, post-Ichigo, because they are very much not in order:

Because of the way that scene is shot, I assumed they were still in two lines, just very messed up lines. But they’re actually standing in one single line!! Why!!

[12 - 5 - 11 - 8 - 10 - 3 - 6 - 9 - 7 - 4 - 2]

And, weirdly enough, in the manga they’re also standing in one single line, and are also out of order, but are... in a different order??

[13 - 8 - 6 - 4 - 2 - 3 - 5 - 7 - 9 - 11]

And to make things even stranger, in the anime version of this scene, Hitsugaya is present at this meeting. But in the manga version, he is actually not here for this meeting. (He’s not just standing next to Soi Fon and covered by Yamamoto, either, because everyone gets a close-up in another panel and he’s not there for that.)

This entire time, I’ve assumed that he was not at this meeting because he’d gone to warn Hinamori about Ichimaru, as that’s the scene immediately prior to this. But... Ichimaru made it to this meeting. And when Hitsugaya shows up for Hinamori, Ichimaru is literally still within eyeshot. So unless their conversation was EXTREMELY LONG, Hitsugaya did not attend this meeting... by choice? Or else felt that “never” was better than “slightly late,” lol.

What does it all mean? Absolutely nothing, I just love captain’s meetings and I like it when things are in lines.

At this point my world has been shaken. Single-file lines?? Even before the departure of half the odd-numbered captains???? Because, sure, in the Bount arc they’re standing in a single sad little line, but that’s because they’re missing captains 3, 5, and 9:

[13 - 12 - 11 - 10 - 8 - 7 - 4 - 2 ]

(And for this particular meeting, are also missing Byakuya, who I guess is still... recuperating from the Soul Society arc? Yamamoto banishes him off to the Kuchiki Archive Dungeon for a while, but I don’t think that’s happened yet.)

At least they’re standing in order this time.

Once the Arrancar Invasion/Advance Team arc hits, it seems like they’ve regrouped enough to go the two-line route again:

[2 - 6 - 8 | 10 - 7 - 4 ]

Except... half the people in this shot are not in their regular spots? In the prototypical Captain’s meeting (e.g. the first one), the evens are to Yamamoto’s right and the odds are on his left. But here Komamura (odd) is on Yamamoto’s right, and... Soi Fon, Byakuya, and Kyouraku (all evens) have decided to take up residency on the odd-numbered side. Only Unohana and Hitsugaya are in their usual spots here.

Maybe it’s wrong to assume that the two lines, evens-on-the-right and odds-on-the-left is prototypical. But I mean, that’s also how they did it 100 years ago, so there’s some additional precedence:

[8 - 6 - 4 - 2 | 3 - 5- 7 - 9 - 13 ]

And it’s how they do it for Rukia’s promotion ceremony:

[10 - 8 - 6 - 4 - 2 | 3 - 5 - 7 - 9 - 11 ]

So that’s two semi-formal occasions (Urahara and Rukia’s respective promotions) where they’re lined up Correctly.

I can’t even tell you why, but I am OBSESSED with the different configurations, so if anyone else has fancam footage from other Captain’s meetings, please do share. Because this is BREAKING me what is with the single-file meetings what is with the out-of-order meetings 

HELP

Also, this isn’t officially a meeting per se, but it happens in the 1st Division meeting room and its Kyouraku’s first appearance as new Captain Commander, so I’ll count this as another (pretty sad) meeting formation, as well.

Weirdly enough, with the exception of Ukitake--who is leading the conversation before Kyouraku comes in--they actually are all standing in order here:

[10 - 9 - 7 - 5 - 3 - 2 - 13]

[ktarsims]

15 Questions for 15 Mutuals

I was tagged by @simstryingtheirbestok @mainlyjustthesims @spaceapples98 @agnelid @nocturnalazure @papermint-airplane and @samkat10423. Thank you! I feel popular. LOL

Answers below cut for those who prefer to scroll past.

1. Are you named after anyone?  I am. My middle name is my father’s first name, and my first name is a play on my mother’s middle name.

2.  When was the last time you cried? Within the last week sometime, probably. I cry when watching sad things sometimes, when I’m extremely frustrated, when I’m having an anxiety attack... you know, the usual.

3. Do you have any kids? Yes. Just one. Y’all have benefited from the tools he makes me to help me with my Sims 3 game.

4.  Do you use sarcasm a lot? Not really. When I do use sarcasm, I’m very careful with it, only using it with a small audience of people that I’m 100% sure will know that it’s sarcasm, or in an overly exaggerated way that I feel fairly certain cannot be misunderstood. I feel like sarcasm is an easy habit to fall into that often creates misunderstanding. My partner says I used to not use it at all, but nowadays I use it carefully.

5.  What sports do you play/have you played? The only sports I’ve ever played were the ones I was required to play in school. Then the asthma got bad, and I got a doctor’s note to be excused from PE class my last two years of high school, so no more sports for me. I do enjoy playing with a frisbee, ping pong, or badminton from time to time, but not as a sport, just as playing around. If you want to get serious about scoring, I’m out. That’s stress I don’t need.

6.  What's the first thing you notice about other people? I’m honestly unsure about this. The first thing I LOOK for is how they’re behaving towards the people around them. Polite, respectful? Helpful? Or if they’re not interacting with anyone, does their behavior seem normal and can I make a good guess as to what they’re doing or does it seem abnormal and possibly suspicious? Yes. I actually go through that sort of process with every person I encounter. Aside from simply being female, I also have an anxiety disorder, and I’m fairly asocial as a person, and due to life experiences, I think the scariest thing in the world is other people.

7.  Scary movies or happy endings? Happy Endings. I state this conditionally though, some movies are considered scary by some that I don’t really think are very scary? I mean, I watched Supernatural, and the original Firestarter is one of my favorite movies... so... but they do have good endings. Good endings are required. I will absolutely skip ahead to the end sometimes to make sure it has a good ending if I’m getting nebulous vibes about a show or book.

8.  Any special talents? I would say that I’m good at organization, but I’ve come to know some people in the simblr community that are WAAAAY more organized than I am. I’m great with sorting out a physical space though, and have sometimes been asked by friends who aren’t good at it to help them out.

9.  Where were you born? Long ago and far away... in the not so grand ol’ USA.

10.  What are your hobbies? Sims, Reading, watching various shows (sci-fi, fantasy, occult, and mystery themes), Pokémon games, occasional other RPG console or PC games, and sometimes DDO or LOTRO.

11.  Do you have any pets? Nope. I sometimes moonlight as a pet caretaker for people on vacation though, because I’m very good with animals. One of my friends dubbed me the ‘cat whisperer’.

12.  How tall are you? Short enough to be considered petite.

13.  Fave subject in school? Uh. I once took a class in business and psychology and I really enjoyed that. Otherwise... math and science maybe?

14.  Dream job? I have often thought over the years that being someone else’s personal assistant to keep them organized would be what I would excel the most at, but having looked at the job descriptions for some of those jobs, I’m less certain of that. For now, I’m just hoping to score a job I can do mostly from home.

15.  Eye color? I agree with @simstryingtheirbestok that these questionnaires sometimes tend to ask too much personally identifying information, or information that is commonly used in answering secret questions. However, in this case, having made a simself that’s been commonly shared here, my brown eye color isn’t a secret.

I don’t know if I can find 15 people to tag that haven’t done this, because I’ve seen hordes of these cross my dash in the last week, but... I’ll give it a go for at least five: @aisquaredchoco @cas-sims @sharssims @wannabecatwriter @nornities @blackbriarsraven @spnmoosejerk @id-element0 @chazybazzy @simlicious Okay, I made it to 10. Don’t feel obligated if these are not your thing, and if you do decide to do it, I do encourage you to exercise due internet caution when answering the questions.

[aevyk-ing]

Rambling about the Ghibli movies I’ve seen Part 2

Read part 1 here.

11. Tales of Earthsea

This one was... weird? Just boring? I really liked the designs for the mosaics and the city, but the rest needed a lot of work. I was intrigued about the main character and found myself thinking how the books are probably better. I had some problems with the character designs and the story was all over the place. 

12. Only Yesterday

A little too long, dragging in the middle, but really cute. I loved the way it depicted the country life, the softness of the scenes in the past and the fantasy bits. I also have the feeling I should live somewhere else since I was little (I love nature and forests) and I’ve been remembering a lot of stuff (well, that’s a side effect of going to therapy, I guess). Anyway, I enjoyed the little story and the way some moments were animated and I wasn’t expecting to hear castanets in a Ghibli movie. 

13. Porco Rosso

Em... this one was pretty, but the story was weird. The scenery, music and flight scenes are really good. I was interested in the transformation part, but then it started saying things like: “Sorry only women are going to build the plane.” and then making a 17 years-old fell in love with a 36 years-old. Yikes. Just yikes. Then the ending is rushed. Started out good, ended up... meh.

14. When Marnie Was There

I really liked this one. The story got me hooked, I related a lot to the main character and everything was so beautiful (just look at that house!). It can be a little confusing sometimes, especially during the middle part, but once it starts explaining things... oh, boy. My only complain is that I only knew it was the story about two girls and, once Anna started blushing I started shipping them... SPOILER it didn’t end up well. 

15. The Wind Rises

So beautiful... and also sad. Miyazaki sure loves aeroplanes and that sort of stuff, huh? But I can’t complain: his flying sequences are always amazing. I also really liked the cinematography in this one, there’s a lot of interesting angles and uses of animation. It can also be funny sometimes (I still think that German guy ate a decorative plant) and I’m glad it didn’t dwell too much in the sad parts, even though I would have liked to see a little more after Nahoko leaves and before the dream sequence. Talking about dream sequences, that’s yet another thing Miyazaki excels at. BTW, I was ready for the sad ending, but still got me. 

16. The Cat Returns

Utterly bizarre at the beginning, took an interesting turn midway where it reminded me of morning cartoons. It’s a cute story, although I’d have preferred something a little deeper or more nuanced. But it’s nice. Not the best one but fine enough for spending some free time. And yes, I’m well aware this one was made for small kids (maybe it’s the only one so far). Also, didn’t like how they teased out that Haru and the Baron are in a relationship. I still ship him with the other cat statue from A Whisper of the Heart, thank you.

17. Grave of the Fireflies

There are some movies you can just watch once... but even though, you’re glad you watched them. This movie was a ride and I was getting ready mentally to watch it, thinking that I could never find the perfect moment. However, something happened that hurt my soul so I was at the right place. It was painful, with exquisite music, but it hurt a lot. Just like Life is Beautiful... I won’t be rewatching soon... but I’ll thank it for what it is.

18. The Boy and the Heron

Proof that we still need fairytales! Have to say it was strange to go from the last movie to the beginning of this one because SPOILERS, I immediately knew what was going on. I loved the take on trauma and mixing past and present in a fantasy world that also looked an awful lot like a limbo (thanks, Over the Garden Wall). Overall, while it reminded me of other stories, it had enough heart and stuff going on to keep you hooked. You can tell it’s the result of a lifetime telling stories and my only complain is the creepiness. It was the least thing I liked from Chihiro and while I get why it has to be done, it doesn’t make it less disturbing. 

19. Tale of Princess Kaguya

(disgruntled noises) I loved the first part. Cute animation, interesting style and adorable characters. I was having such a great time. Cut to the palace bit and the escape after the party and the story starts dragging on and totally changes genres. It went from fluffy and uplifting to depressing and sad. Why? Just why? If I had seen this movie when I was a kid, I would have never wanted to watch it again. Sigh. 

[ghoooooooooooooooost]

ermmm wowland spoiwers

bonus these r cute:

^ I LOVE THESE SPRITES SO MACH the dodge especially

fun fact: i get all his guns confused all the time so when i drew my 'airhead' animation i mistakenly made him 1-hand the rifle(?) or is it a shotgun?

"food", "food", "...", "food :)"

KJY - "Roland was a character whose eyes were fixed behind in many ways. When he first ran into Salvador, he anxiously kept looking backward and left himself open for a surprise attack. But, there was one time in the past where Roland could look ahead, and the encounter with Angelica is what I think brought change to Roland’s life. With Angelica gone now, he’s regressed to watching behind and reminiscing about the past. To Roland, Angelica is an angel that brought much pain as well as much happiness to him. Overcome with the grief of losing his angel, Roland wanders until he meets another angel: Angela is the source of Roland’s suffering, but at the same time, she gives him a reason to keep on living by any means. I remember the artists at Mili explaining to us as they worked on the song that ‘Gone Angels’ expresses Roland’s determination to kill that angel with his own hands and leave nothing behind."

^^^^^^ that makes me feel so many things

also you know, i only just now realized roland comments on all the groups of characters at the top of their pages <*bad eyes*

some stuff he says:

"Charles’ Office. A band of myself and the eleven Fixers who followed my lead, despite all my shortcomings… Being in the northern part of the City meant many of us had pretty extravagant outfits. I remember laughing at the way Astolfo dressed, too. We were together for quite a long time, and it felt like our company would last forever, but here we are now, going our separate ways. This wasn’t an unexpected outcome, though. I’d wonder if they’re alive and well from time to time, and it was good to see Olivier at the very least. I sometimes miss those simpler times when I could just focus on the now and live in the moment."

(about pierre & jack) "A restaurant aged 11 years in the streets of District 23; although it’s not super popular or anything, it has quite a few regulars. Its specialty is meat-based foods, and the main dish is Pierre’s signature thick meat pies. I’ve never tried one myself, but according to its patrons… the abundance and juiciness of the meat make for a fantastic meal. Now here’s the funny bit: some people don’t seem to know what the pie is made of. Well, Pierre, the head chef of the establishment, isn’t the type to babble out for things no one asked. Besides, we’re talking about District 23… the streets of flavor, y’know? Whatever methods or ingredients were used to make the food… most of those folks don’t pay any attention. They’d rather be taking another bite out of their tasty grub if they have the time to ask questions." (hmmm...)

(about the 8 o'clock circus) "...Perhaps that circus could be the place to restore your smile, forgotten in the hum of everyday life. I’d like to see a performance myself if I ever get the chance." (?? roland you saw what oswald did though......well if he wants to see the circus he can go see the circus <3 love & peace)

(about the smiling faces) "...The Smiling Faces apparently enjoy flaking human flesh into thin fillets to eat… They’re definitely far from the only ones known for cannibalism, but you’ve got to admit, their flesh fillet is something to behold. It’s uncanny how they can make the fillet so thin that you can see through it. Not like… I want to ever eat it." (HMM!? WHY DID U PAUSE)

(about liu association) "...That’s why most Fixers try not to get attached to each other; too many couples end up losing their significant others sooner or later. But, once you feel the warmth of someone precious, you can’t easily let them go. I sometimes wonder what the right thing to do is, if you lose someone who naturally became a huge part of your life." ( D: )

(about liu again) "I must wonder how it feels to be able to cherish something. To make choices for one purpose and even forfeit everything else in order to protect what’s precious. To restrain yourself from grieving for the deaths of the few to save the many who live on; to risk all you have for the sake of your loved one. I suppose it’s not the most unusual feeling. Everyone vaguely senses it, but no one bothers to delve into it. How could one name it… Love? Sympathy? I don’t think it will ever be possible to define this with a single word. A simple word wouldn’t do it justice, either. Nevertheless, it is a matter worth considering time after time."

(about distorted yan) "It sounds like there are beings comparable to gods in the City, such as the Prescripts. I think I’ve seen ‘em a few times myself… although they’re not memories I want to revisit..." (hmm...?)

[pinkarachnia]

Lesbian Anime Review #11 - Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury

This is the first time I’ve watched a Gundam series and now I’m going to talk about my opinions about it on the internet. This will be fine.

- 9 July 2023 -

This is a weird one to review for me. I usually review anime where the lesbian themes are one of the most prominent elements of the show, but Gwitch is a Gundam anime first and foremost, which happens to feature some girls who like girls.

It’s made me stop and consider what my qualifiers are for a “lesbian anime”, because I think this is one. If I boil it down to a few key factors, those would be:

1. It’s about lesbians.

2. Gay themes are addressed in the text.

3. It’s FOR lesbians, or at least, lesbians could enjoy this.

And yeah, in that respect, Gwitch makes the cut. Even if they only acknowledge the second point once at the end of episode 1 (not the prologue) when Miorine looks straight into the camera and says “gay rights”. I loved this part at the time, but in hindsight, I think it set me up to expect that the gay romance between the two main characters would feature more prominently in the show than it ultimately did. I know I’m not alone in that either; when I finished the last episode I immediately looked at the comments on Crunchyroll and it seemed like a few people felt let down by the lack of on-screen romantic moments, but I think that’s a given when the show kicks off with a very Gundam prologue episode (more on the war crimes later) followed by an episode 1 that screams, “we made it just like Utena”, complete with girls rotating around each other in the opening.

Fuck, do I need to finish watching Utena before I can write the rest of this? I was saving it for later in my yuri quest but if there’s anything I’ve learned from Gwitch it’s that anime people won’t hesitate to bite your head off if you try to have a take without doing the mandatory research.

- 17 July 2023 -

I’m 25 episodes into Utena.

Fucking hell this anime is good. I mean that’s not news to anyone but like, I was putting it off until later in my lesbian anime schedule because I was treating it like it would be my reward for persevering through worse content and it hasn’t disappointed. It deserves the pedestal it’s put on. Kiss and love and true your heart.

- 23 July 2023 -

I have finished Revolutionary Girl Utena and the movie. Now I feel like I can speak with some more authority on the comparisons between Gwitch and Utena. However, today I’m seeing Barbie so you might have to wait a bit longer for my Gundam review.

- 27 July 2023 -

So Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury absolutely wants you to think it’s like Utena. Here are some reasons why!

It’s set in a high school with institutionalised duelling.

The champion of duelling wins the right to marry a certain woman.

There’s a council of students (I guess? If not formally then they fit the niche) and they’re all kind of fucked up and they’re the main participants in the duels.

The trophy girl has a garden where she predominantly grows a certain type of plant.

The main character gets to wear a different uniform to everyone else.

It’s lesbian.

One of the main characters is bold and in pursuit of revolutionary goals while the other is timid and subservient to a powerful family member.

Ichirou Ookouchi, credited for script and series composition, wrote the light novel adaption of Revolutionary Girl Utena.

So yeah, I think there’s plenty of reasons to suggest that this was intentional. I think that’s important because for me, it set me up with certain expectations for the series. From the beginning, it seems like Gwitch makes a point of the fact that it features a gay romance and the Utena parallels only serve to strengthen this impression.

I’ll circle back to this when I get into spoilers but to keep it brief, I don’t think it’s queerbait and I do think they were genuine in wanting to depict that relationship. However, I can also understand why there were people who were outspoken about wanting to see more on screen romantic scenes, particularly concerning the ending. I don’t necessarily agree that it needed more, but I understand that perspective. When I consider how Gwitch initially presented itself, with a self-aware juxtaposition of its characters, themes and setting to one of the most renowned and acclaimed anime series about a gay romance between women, I can’t dismiss that take like they should have known better or had different expectations. Their expectations were set by the show and how it invited those comparisons up front.

It’s going to be really hard to write my Utena review.

Spoilers commence below the gifs

It’s several weeks later but I’m not timestamping this any more.

I’ll cut to the chase regarding the Gundam ending: the main leads get married off screen and you don’t see them kiss or anything so overtly romantic. I think that’s fine though. They didn’t need to do that to satisfy me. Like I said earlier up, I think this was a genuine attempt at portraying a gay relationship. The fact that they end up together at the end demonstrates to me that the portrayal of the romance between the two up until the ending was earnest, so it’s a win in my books.

By this point the big evil company has come out and made some comment like “it’s up for interpretation” or whatever but if you look at it for half a second you can see how you’re meant to interpret it.

But that’s enough about all that; who really gives a shit? This is a lesbian anime review so I’m going to finish this review in the most lesbian way I can.

Here’s my

Top 5 robots from Gwitch

5 - ChuChu’s Demi Trainer

The meme answer slot goes to this unremarkable machine because I heard from one of my girlies who works at a hobby store that it’s the least popular model kit they sell.

It’s just a plain looking robot with a gun but the feet look kind of like Shadow the Hedgehog’s shoes. I just noticed that now. Anyway.

4 - Gundam Lfrith Ur

It’s Sophie’s Gundam! It has a large gun. I like this robot because I like Sophie, so it gets to earn my love vicariously.

I don’t find anything about the design particularly outstanding, but this one earns a spot on my list due to having a Beam Gatling Gun. Brrrrrr.

It also has another gun on its back called a Phased Array Cannon. No idea what that’s about but cool robot.

Man if I was a Gundam fan I would hate this top 5.

3 - Gundam Schwarzette

BIiiiiiig swoooooooord.

But there’s actually a smaller sword surrounded by other parts called Bit Staves that form a sheath and it can do cool shit like this:

That’s a dope robot! Kind of wish it was just a giant fuck off sword but I can’t have it all.

No other notes. I’m going to finish this goddamn review.

2 - Gundam Calibarn

Cool gun strikes again only cooler.

This one has a rocket on the back of the gun. It opens up like this:

It’s got some rainbow shit going on too and that’s cute. Not a lot of screen time for this guy but it was put into the opening theme and that’s cool.

Oh fuck I haven’t talked about the songs.

Gwitch had one of my favourite anime openings of 2022. There have been a few great YOASOBI anime songs lately and this one went hard, true to form. I think all the songs they got for this show were great though. I never skipped an OP/ED. Whenever I see a show with a Supercell song it somehow feels special. Maybe I’ve just imagined that there’s any prestige there but I like it so whatever.

Back to robot.

1 - Darilbalde

Beetle looking fucker. Not the only one but I like this one the most because it’s red.

Guel gets to pilot all the coolest suits in this show. Dude gets all the beetle guys.

Look at this bastard:

Sick. Check out the polearm.

This isn't even the guy I've given the number 1 slot to, I just think it's cool. Fuck it, Dilanza can also be number 1.

As you can probably tell by now, I'm not great at articulating why I think any of these are good, but I don't really think that matters. I've spent so much time dwelling on "war is bad" that I've neglected "cool robot", and sometimes I think it's just fine to be the guy who wants to look at the cool robot. I also think it's fine to be the guy who just wants to look at girls kissing. Sometimes you can be both.

Anyway, Witch of Mercury was alright. More named characters should have died probably. I prefer the robots from Code Geass.

I'm giving this one a 7 out of 10.

[medea10]

My Review of My Happy Marriage

How did I get into this anime? So, I noticed this anime’s promotional poster and wondered to myself if this was going to be like Taisho Maiden Fairy Tale. That is the weirdest reason for watching an anime I’ve ever given and I sometimes pick animes just because of who sings the opening theme. Actually, I wasn’t that far off with my idiotic question.

Miyo Saimori is someone who was brought up under some unfortunate circumstances. Miyo’s mother died when she was really young. Her father ends up remarrying another woman and having another child with that woman soon after. Miyo was kinda shoved into the background and become subservient to the family as she was seen as useless. Apparently, everyone in the family has supernatural abilities except for Miyo. That’s why they see her as someone with no merit and useless. Her step-mother and half-sister are cruel to her. Her father says nothing. All Miyo does is lower her head and obey them.

Oh my God, what kind of Cinderella, Princess Sara, Taisho Maiden Fairy Tale shit did I pick up here? This first episode is just cruel. Treating Miyo like a slave is one thing, but erasing every happy thing from her life including what her dead mother left her is just sick.

There is one person who has been kind to Miyo for all of these years and that’s a family friend, Kouji. He’s the only one to ever make her smile. Unfortunately, things change and not for the better. Miyo’s father announced that Kouji was to be betrothed to Miyo’s half-sister Kaya. This of course broke Miyo’s heart despite her expecting something like this was going to happen. Now, there was more to the announcement. Miyo was also to be married off. They’re sending her away to be married to the lord of the Kudou clan. And just to be bigger dicks than you would imagine, they’re sending Miyo to be married off to someone who has a reputation for being a jerk.

If this story takes place around the same time as Taisho Maiden Fairy Tale, could the story do us a big favor and just have this whole family die in the Great Kanto Earthquake? I know it’s a terrible thing to wish upon anyone, let alone a fictional family. I was just really annoyed by everyone in Miyo’s family that it made me say what I just said.

Despite the rumors about this young lord and all of the marriage proposals that have lapsed due to his attitude. This man, Kiyoka Kudou is actually kind-hearted. And Miyo just deserves the best. She deserves a nice life!

BETWEEN THE SUB AND THE DUB: Welcome to a very new experience here. As you all know, this is a Netflix exclusive anime. But unlike many animes they’ve licensed in the past, this one was put out on the same day as released in Japan with an English dub. That is almost unheard of on Netflix. Recently, Netflix has been releasing anime alongside the Japanese schedule like when Blue Period came out. Some had a small, couple-week delay like Komi-san. Others are released all at once like Aggretsuko and The Way of the Househusband. And then there are those animes that people wait an eternity to see, but Netflix finds a way to delay it by weeks or even months.

The U.S. waited 11 months for that Steven Stone vs. Ash Ketchum match. That’s a disgustingly long wait, Netflix. Not even 4Kids was that cruel! THIS DOES NOT HELP WITH PIRACY YOU PEOPLE KEEP SCREAMING ABOUT! I will never be over that one.

So, I’m watching the dub. I gotta give praise to the cast here. This is my first time hearing either Miranda Parkin or Damien Haas. I am impressed by their performance and wish them nothing but the best in the future. It wasn’t all newbies in the cast. I saw a few memorable names like Lizzie Freeman, Mela Lee, and even a few Pokemon voice actors like Erica Schroeder and Mike Pollock. This kind of stuff makes me giddy. Here’s what you might recognize these folks from.

JAPANESE CAST: *Miyo is played by Reina Ueda (known for Mallow on Pokemon SM, Kisa on Fruits Basket 2019, Kanao on Demon Slayer, Gray on Lord El-Melloi, Jiro on Tokyo Ghoul, and Elianna on Bibliophile Princess)

*Kiyoka is played by Kaito Ishikawa (known for Kiawe on Pokemon SM, Naofumi on Shield Hero, Genos on One Punch Man, Iida on My Hero Academia, Kageyama on Haikyuu, Sakuta on Bunny Girl Senpai, and Urie on Tokyo Ghoul :re)

ENGLISH CAST: *Miyo is played by Miranda Parkin

*Kiyoka is played by Damien Haas

DISLIKED CHARACTERS: I think you know what I’m about to do here.

Miyo’s entire family (minus birth mother) are horrible people. And if this series is set during the Great Kanto Earthquake, I hope they all die. I know I said that before and it’s a horrible thing to say, but I’m at that point where I’m saying ‘fuck it’. The step-mother and half-sister are that usual kind of awful that one would expect in a Cinderella type of story like this. But Miyo’s father, her actual biological, blood father had the audacity to say in the third episode that he doesn’t care about his own kid and whether she’s still alive or not after sending her to the Kudou home. Just because she can’t see spiritual beings like the rest of the family?! I think I hate you the most.

This hatred was just the beginning.

Give Taishou Maiden Fairy Tale some credit as I didn’t have to see Tamahiko’s rotten family in every episode. The first six episodes were full of horrible scenes featuring Miyo’s father, step-mother and step-sister being horrible creatures. Whether through nightmares Miyo continues to have or them plotting and scheming, they continue to exist. The pinnacle of their disgusting behavior came when Kaya got jealous of her sister being happy for once in her life. So, Kaya and her step-mother had Miyo kidnapped off the street, tied her up in a shed, and beat her until Miyo caves into their selfish demands.

By this point, I’m thinking if this is just overkill in the evil department. Like, if you two are looking for the worst characters in anime for the year of 2023, you’d win that category. Even the guy that stabbed Ai Hoshino is in no competition compared to these bitches. But I feel like their evility was much too much.

Thankfully, after episode 7 we don’t see much of these wretched people. Kiyoka torched everything in his way and pretty much destroyed Miyo’s father, step-mother, and sister Kaya’s livelihood. I even think Kaya’s engagement to Kouji was broken off as she’s sent away to fuck if I know. I’ll take any kind of karma that can be bestowed upon these cum-buckets.

SHIPPING: Arranged marriages. Perfect matches or doomed from the start? Let’s see how this works out.

In the first episode, I was worried that this poor girl is going to continue getting abused. By the second episode, I twinged with this after watching Kiyoka put up the defiance just eating the food Miyo made. But that soon disapated with some optimism when Kiyoka took Miyo out on the town and gave her a present that could be mistaken for a marriage proposal. And by the end of episode 4, I was cheering for this. Especially when Kiyoka went to Miyo’s parents and demanded them to apologize to Miyo.

Unfortunately, other forces are working for selfish reasons. Apparently, Miyo’s father had originally promised Miyo to another family. Despite not having any spiritual powers, she still carries her mother’s blood and she could potentially pass on something to her children in the future. And this other family is Kouji’s family. Kouji is of course still on Miyo’s side and was pissed that his father did nothing to aid in Miyo’s torment. Just for good measure, let’s add Miyo’s cunt sister Kaya to this mix. She’s willing to throw away her fiancé Kouji and steal Kiyoka just because she can’t stand her sister being happy.

As I mentioned before, we don’t see much of Kaya and the rest of the family after episode 7. Same goes for Kouji. You would think that’d be the end of the interruptions and this ship can set sail. You know as well as I do that isn’t in the cards. We’ve got Miyo’s meddling cousin Atara to deal with.

ENDING: Everybody wants Miyo! It’s clear that Kiyoka loves Miyo and just wants her to be happy. But then you’ve got these interlopers who want Miyo only because she has an almost extinct bloodline (Usuba) running through her veins. Pretty much the same reason Koji’s father wanted Miyo. Two of those people are Miyo’s grandfather and this guy named Arata that happens to be her blood cousin.

That’s nice. Where the fuck were these two bros when Miyo was getting abused by the Saimori family? Follow up question! Where the fuck were these two bros when Miyo was getting the Kunta Kente treatment just a couple of episodes prior?!

For people so worried about the fate of the Usuba bloodline, you didn’t seem too concerned about Miyo until this very moment when she might have a slim chance of having some special power. As it turns out, Miyo just might. The following problems to this are; it’s ravaging her in her sleep, and her full power might have been sealed off by Miyo’s deceased mother. For this very reason, these two family members insist Miyo stay at their premises. Kiyoka was not going to give up his fiancé to these people whom he still has severe distrust over and ends up in a duel with this Arata dude. This was essentially, bringing a sword to a gunfight. Unless your name is Himura Kenshin, you are probably not going to win in a gunfight with a sword. I know Kiyoka is pretty tough, but…no. Knife to gun fight!

There’s a lot on Kiyoka’s plate at the moment. There have been going-ons with a supernatural called “the grotesques” and one wrong move could result in many lives lost. But this whole thing with his fiancé is something that has him worried all over the place. I guess Kiyoka’s demeanor changed quite a bit since we first saw him in his debut. During the big battle against the grotesques, he wound up seriously injured.

Meanwhile, Miyo learned from her grandfather about the Usuba family and her mother Sumi. Turns out that when Sumi was younger, she decided to help the dwindling Usuba family with their family troubles by marrying one of the families willing to give financial support. That just happened to be the Saimori family. The father was not happy by that decision and it unfortunately caused a rift between the two. Soon after marriage, Sumi gave birth to Miyo and realized her potential already. Sumi (who already had a weak constitution to begin with) managed to seal Miyo’s supernatural powers to prevent her father and the other Saimoris to abuse it. And then she died! Okay, I’m easing up on hating on the grandfather. Miyo’s cousin is still on the sus-watch as he continuously kept Miyo away from Kiyoka. Even when Kiyoka is injured, Atara tried to keep them apart. Thankfully, Grandpa realized that if he did this, he would lose Miyo the same way he lost Sumi. Miyo was able to be by her beloved’s side.

Kiyoka was in a deep coma due to a horrific injury. After a few weeks with the Usuba family, Miyo was able to regain what was sealed away from her after so long. Miyo has a special ability to go into dreams. She went inside Kiyoka’s dreams. After battling around with her inner insecurities, she managed to protect her fiancé and he was able to recover. This power was also able to vanquish the grotesques that invaded too. No one can tear apart these two. Not the Saimoris. Not the evil governor that wanted all the power for himself. Not Atara. No one! And we end with a happy ending where Miyo goes to a fancy party and puts her new education from her sister-in-law to good use.

Yes, love me some happy endings. Miyo deserves it! And best of all, we’re getting a season two to this. Guys, end it here. I know I can’t resist seeing what happens next. But after everything Miyo has been through, I can’t stand the fact that more tragedy could befall her. I also don’t want to see the Saimori’s again. I don’t care if karma came in like a firestorm to these people, I never want to see them again.

I’ll be honest, I was unaware about this story being about people who have supernatural abilities until episode 1 or 2. When I learned that, I thought that was just sloppily tacked on. That was until all this grotesquery nonsense and Kiyoka’s work came into play. I dropped my thoughts on the matter then. Despite every horrible thing happening to Miyo is playing right on my screen, I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see if this girl ever gets her “happy marriage” like what it says in the title. And at least if there’s a season two, we might see the actual wedding. I mean, they aren’t married yet.

But aside from that, if you want to watch a supernatural/romance anime, you might want to consider watching this anime. Just be warned that the first half of the anime could aggravate you with how they treat one of the characters.

Every episode is streaming on Netflix.